Dance To The Waltz
by Mysterious Loser
Summary: Four months after the defeat of Nyarlathotep, everyone tries to get on with their lives. However, peace is short lived when a serial killer emerges. All evidence points to the newcomer in town—someone who helped save Lunarvale from Guido. EP—BYTM—IS
1. Welcome Aboard

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Persona and had my way, Alfred would have never kicked the bucket, Katsuya and Maya would've gotten together, and they would've brought Persona: Tsumi to America. So evidently…I don't. :-P

**A/N:** Please read. If not, don't say I didn't warn you.

There's just a couple things to disregard. Forget the ending of Persona: Revelations. I've almost entirely disregarded how each character ended up at the end. The ending to Persona: Eternal Punishment has changed a little, too. Give "Main," from Revelations, a chance, too. He's a central character in this story. Since I gave him a personality, I wonder how close you could come to calling him an OC (Original character).

Last summer, I wrote a few stories that differentiate from genres I've mostly stayed accustomed to. So here's an attempt at drama. Normally, I'm not a fan of drama, but I haven't written a serious one yet, so there's no telling how mine is gonna end up. It could be good or it could be bad, but at least I've given it a shot, right?

Some of the structure points that I've used in this story may be a little off because I couldn't find the actual answers on any of the Persona information based sites that I went to. I like constructive criticism and to be pointed out when I'm wrong, but please don't flame me. Also, call it OOC (Out of character) if you will, but I'm trying to put a little more feeling into the characters. My aim isn't to chop up the characters, but I want to mold them just a little.

In addition, I'm an unoriginal person and I'm so used to people calling him "Hero" on the sites I've gone to (even though it's really meant to be taken as "Hero" or "Main"), so, Hero it is in this story, despite it originally being "Naoya Toumou" and "Yuuya Narumi" in other MIP games. Hope it doesn't rub off badly on some people. Since all of the Rev kids are in here, I'm going to use their Japanese surnames and their natural English ones. Sorry.

Lastly, I hope you enjoy the story. Really, I'm trying to stick to Persona here and look up information on the side. Any help would be wonderful, and, of course, please RnR.

**\/\/\/**

**Dance to the Waltz**

**Chapter One**

**Welcome Aboard**

**\/\/\/**

_Dance_

_Dance to the Waltz_

_The one who lives outside of time_

_Play our game_

_Crystal Survivor_

_The one whom even the Butterfly could not tame_

\/\/\/

Four months was just not enough time to oppress the horrific memories that had stirred the souls of even the most unbreakable. Time dragged on as slowly as it always had, and, sometimes, quickly for others, but enough thoughts were filled of recent events. Fight it as they might, there was just no excuse for their abrupt transformation in attitude. It was like changing the tracks on a railroad.

Life had taken them in a different direction.

Some of those among the existing had already stirred in Sumaru City by the time sunlight awoke to the horizon, and inhabitants had been given enough time to clear the sleep from their eyes, clean their faces in their wash bins, and set out for work. It was just another day to others, same old, same old. Briefcases in hands, crowds began to gather at crosswalks, craning their necks to watch the light shift from green to red and the neon lit sign change to the silhouette of a walking person.

People yawned, some stifled it, and some paced themselves to arrive at work while others hurried, fighting past the ample number of people herded along the sidewalks. The sun moved to highlight certain sides of tall skyscrapers and breathe life into the beginning of a new day, feeding its warmth to the people who walked amidst and those who sat to watch it come hither.

Clouds rolled in overhead, few and far between, the blue, spacious sky filling in the frequent gaps that linked them. Gliding directly below were the small, yet shapely, forms of birds, faintly moving their wings against the still breeze, as though they were flying without the help of their own bodies. Directly above, a small plane hovered over the city, coming into the airport.

It was a beautiful day—a perfect day to be out and about.

Maya Amano had the misfortune of having to be one of those people who could not enjoy the rising of the sun or the passing of the clouds.

She was late to work.

_Why now of all days! Why __**today**__ when I finally get my big break and have the chance to interview that big producer of the new sitcom on television!_ She twisted her body to the side, pushing past two large men who had occupied the sidewalk, talking to each other. _Move it or lose it!_ she thought inwardly as she bit her bottom lip and ran to catch the crosswalk before the light turned green. _Shoot!_ A car honked at her as she quickly jumped back onto the curb and waited impatiently for the stoplight to change back.

She glanced at her clock and groaned. _Five minutes late. I hope Yuki can cover for me until I get there. Mizuno is going to chew me out until my face is beyond repair after this…_

Maya had replaced the batteries in her alarm clock the night before, reset it, and, although had set the correct time, forgot to set the alarm itself. Only out of habit was she able to wake up just minutes before she had been designated to have been at work.

_Ugh…stupid light…how long does it take to get around an intersection?_ Her eyes diverted to the street next to her, heavy traffic piling up for the start of the day. She tapped her foot, humming a half nonsensical tune, and then gasped in delight as the crosswalk sign lit up, beckoning her to come across. She did not hesitate and brusquely walked behind a line of people from corner to corner along the street.

Shifting the weight of her bag across her hip, she moved around them and continued her hasty pace down the road. _Move, Maya, move!_ She sharply turned the corner and saw the flashy letters of 'Kismet' appear out of the corner of her eye. Maya's hope intensified when she became aware that this street was less congested than the last.

Making one last mad dash down the sidewalk, she burst through the doors, nearly tripping over her feet, and stumbled over to the secretary's circular counter. Eyes wide from the abrupt surprise of a flying Maya, she blinked twice before asking, "Miss Amano…are you all right?"

"I…I…" Maya used the counter for support as she leaned over to catch her breath. Raven locks of short hair fell into her face, lone strands becoming captured by her gasping lips, painted with lip gloss. "Did he come? Hanagaki, I mean…the producer of the sitcom?"

The secretary giggled and patted the hand Maya was using for support on top of the polished counter. Then, her eyes gave somewhat of a sad look and she shook her head, but strangely kept her smile.

"What?" Maya looked at her, awkwardly. "What's wrong?"

"Miss Amano…I tried to call you, but…he phoned a little while ago."

Maya wasn't sure she enjoyed where this was going. "And…?"

"Sincerest apologies, but…he canceled. He wants you to call and reschedule."

Maya paused. She stayed that way for quite some time, as though all life had left her and she had become a statue. Then, she gave way, collapsing onto the counter, and flung her head down, screaming.

\/\/\/

Ulala Serizawa heard the brunt of it all, and held the phone several inches from her ear, concentrating on the paperwork at hand. Maya was still ranting and raving when her mind came back into focus and she caught the words, _"called and canceled!"_

"Then that gets you off the hook, right Ma-ya? You were in such a state of frenzy this morning, talking about your boss, that you forgot your cell phone. I guess that that's why the secretary couldn't get a hold of you. I tried to tell you, but you were long gone when I poked my head out the door."

"_That's not the point, Ulala,"_ she heard Maya retort, bitterly. _"What are the __**odds**__ of someone catching a cold on the day of the interview!"_

The fiery redhead chuckled and placed a stack of freshly copy papers into a folder and put them beside her desk in her room. "I guess that kind of luck only happens to you, Ma-ya." Ulala placed the phone in the crook of her neck, comfortably, and reached onto her shelf for more folders.

Maya groaned again and faked crying. _"My one big break and this is how it turns out. I can't believe it."_

"Guess you'll just have to call him and try again," Ulala said and began to flip through another set of papers.

"_How's it going on your end?"_

"Bao said the Chief called last night and gave us a new case. I'm not quite sure what exactly it is, but the Chief told him that there are some leads that may be able to help us. Apparently it's been an ongoing thing for four years now. All of the other cold case detectives have given up, but we may have a chance here."

"_What does it all consist of?"_

Ulala swung around in her swivel chair and stood up to stretch, the phone still held firmly in between her neck and shoulder and the stack of papers in her hand. "Don't know yet. I haven't been by to check with him."

There was a long pause for a while before Maya asked, _"Ulala…are you comfortable…being in the mansearching business and all? Well, I mean, I know it seemed easy at first with the lost puppies and runaway grandmothers, but now the Chief is expecting you to search for dead bodies and murderers, too. Is that __**really**__ the same?"_ Ulala did not answer._ "I know you haven't been to school for that sort of thing, so do you really know what to expect?"_

The redhead almost snorted. "Bao only calls me his 'secretary' and as a 'secretary,' I don't need to do anything important." At the last part, she rolled her eyes and made a face. "Still, what would he do without me?"

This prompted a giggle from Maya, who heartily agreed. _"Just don't get into any trouble, Ulala. I know this is a good thing for you. It's paying much better than the lingerie business did…"_

"Hey, we got some free stuff, didn't we? Don't say it's all for nothing."

"_They gave you the damaged inventory."_

The older girl stiffened, and her eyes wandered about her room. "Well…what's a little sewing? Then it's good as new. Besides, crotchless panties can be a new look." Ulala could almost picture the developing ellipsis on the other end.

"…_Anyway, I've gotta get back to work. I'll give you a call later, okay?"_

"Sure. I'll talk to you then." She hung the phone back onto the receiver in her room and then turned, tossing the stack of papers onto her bed.

Ulala sighed, running her hands through her messy hair, which hung in a wavy disarray around her face. Then, she brought a hand underneath her eye and rubbed it, soothingly. Ever since the Chief had called Bao about this new case, she had been less than relaxed, and her sleep deprivation was catching up to her.

Shortly after the crew broke up, Baofu had decided to give the mansearching business a shot and his former Chief in the prosecuting business had warmly welcomed him back…Whatever that had meant at the time. The Chief agreed to mentor him as a mansearcher, rather than a prosecutor, but the cases seemed to be reverting back to law rather than just mansearching. Ulala wasn't quite sure _who_ the Chief was, but she was happy that Baofu had gotten himself back together. He hadn't _exactly_ invited her to join him, though he showed no remonstration when Ulala had asked. She had intended to be his partner, but he had other things in mind.

That was the first time they had fought since the end of Nyarlathotep's reign.

"Secretary?" she had questioned, her eyes narrowing, dangerously. He carried on, smoking a crumpled cigarette held in between two darkly gloved fingers. Baofu showed no signs of disconcertment, but kept his face evenly nonchalant, a swirl of smoke rising over his head.

"It's too dangerous for a girl like you to get involved," he had said, his voice deep and profound. He leaned back in that moth eaten couch of his, placing his other arm along the back of the sofa, twiddling his fingers on the pad of the fabric. "If you want to help at all, Serizawa, then you're gonna do things my way."

Her face scrunched up and her fists balled at her side, the color draining from them and leaving them white. "What…did…you…say…?" she had tried to keep her voice as even as his, but it was impossible.

"You heard me."

He peered over the lens of his glasses, dark eyes meeting hers. They were strong, confident, and she had known that he wouldn't back down.

Her wall collapsed.

"Don't you _ever _patronize me, Kaoru Saga! If you're afraid that I'll end up just like your partner, then you've got another thing coming!"

After that, the gloves were off.

The fight lasted for well over an hour and ended up with Ulala dashing out of his well hidden lair in Narumi ward in the rain and hitchhiking home. Maya was in the apartment, waiting for her, and fled from her spot on the end of the bed when the waterlogged redhead came in, dripping water in the doorway, and sporting a new tousled look.

Hours into the night, Ulala had convinced Maya to refrain from calling Baofu, and settled down into her own bed after combing out the wretched tangles in her hair and slipping into a soft nightgown, though the haunting of that day poked direly at her mind. She swore that she would never talk to the man again, but found herself calling him nearly at four in the morning to agree to his terms.

He groggily mumbled something into the phone and hung up, but not before telling her to call back at a more coherent hour. Maya was none too pleased and it almost caused an argument between the two friends, but Maya finally threw in the towel, willing to let Ulala make her own mistakes, and a word about that night was never spoken again.

Several unimportant cases were dumped into their laps—mostly into Ulala's—and Baofu grew bored and often went out to drink. Ulala complained about him leaving her alone all the time to entertain himself, but he always shook his head.

"This ain't playtime, woman! This is work!"

Working was drinking? What was that strict norm about drinking on the job again? _So, would the Union have to hear about this?_

Arguments were aroused after that, and it often left Ulala in more of an uneasy state of mind than what she started with. She had always promised herself to stand up to him one of these days and tell him what was right, but every time, she just ended upbeing too upset to think. _Who does that man think he is? King of Sumaru?_ The redhead rolled her eyes at the thought and carried on without him.

Sometimes, after her hours were up, she'd leave even before he got back, which meant that he was still out somewhere in an irrational state of mind. Ulala pretended that she didn't care, but deep down, she always wondered where he was and if he was all right. _Even after all of this, he still isn't normal. Is there nothing I can do for him?_ Truth be told, it was hard to work with the man, which was probably why Mr. Suou never got along with Bao, but she felt that he needed her, somehow. Or, at least…

…that's what she hoped.

With the new case that the Chief gave them just recently, however, she hoped that all of his barren attitude would wither away.

Turning back to the lone phone on her desk, Ulala snatched it up and dialed Baofu's number. She was eager to find out what the new case held in store.

\/\/\/

Katsuya Suou was on break when Chief Hisashi Sakamoto called him on his cell phone, avidly wanting to talk to the newly promoted Detective. Reaching into his pocket, Katsuya withdrew his silver colored phone, flipped it open, and responded, "Suou here."

"_Suou,"_ came Sakamoto's voice on the receiving end. _"I know you're on break, but I need you to come to my office ASAP."_

Katsuya could hear the excitement dripping with the Chief's every word, and wondered what on earth the problem was.

"Sir? Is something the matter?"

"_No, no—it's about that request you put in for two days ago. I want to talk to you about it. Do you think you could cut your break short for once and hurry to my office?"_ It wasn't a question, the young man knew, but an order. He may as well have put it as, "sell me your soul and pick up a loaf of bread on your way to my office."

Well…maybe that was a little _too_ drastic…

"Not a problem," Katsuya responded, glancing at his watch. It was a lie, however. He had truly wanted this break and he had forty-five minutes before having to return to the office.

"_Good. See you then."_

He grunted, snapping the lid of the phone shut in one swift motion. He had no bones to pick with this new chief after Togashi, except for the fact that he was a little too _needy._ Chief Hisashi Sakamoto was a newly transferred chief, ironically, from Lunarvale. He was still partial to all the cases that took place there and habitually sent officers from Sumaru to assist the Lunarvale police force.

It was an odd quirk, Katsuya thought, to send officers to a place that _clearly_ had their own unit. He had tried to discuss the issue of outside jurisdiction with Sakamoto one day, but the good Chief would hear none of it.

"Haven't you ever heard of helping your fellow man?" he asked Katsuya, sharply, leaning over his desk with his elbows.

Katsuya was sorry he ever came in that day; from the look on Sakamoto's face, he was sure that he had offended him. Muttering apology after apology, the younger man closed the door after him and hurried back to his office before the Chief decided to throw things down the hall after him like an ill-tempered girlfriend.

The captain, however, was a little more rational. Captain Kazuhito Nishidate was evidently aware of Katsuya's good standings in the police ward and gave him the respect Nishidate thought he deserved. On the other hand, he wasn't about to stand up against Sakamoto's obvious affections for Lunarvale, and allowed him to do as the Chief pleased without objection.

Detective Suou grinded his teeth in frustration when the captain had told him that, but since Nishidate had put in the recommendation for his promotion and Sakamoto had willingly obliged, Katsuya knew he had no position to complain. This, evidently, meant that he spent more time away from home than necessary, and it worried Katsuya about Tatsuya's well being.

Of course, that was another issue. Tatsuya didn't remember one single, solitary thing of the "Other Side," and all value of brotherhood was lost to him. It dented Katsuya's heart more than just a little, though he tried not to show it. His little brother resumed his frequent romping in God-knows-where and hung out with God-knows-who. Still, he gave his little brother his space, trying to keep in mind all the long talks Tatsuya of the "Other Side" and he had had prior to his leaving.

He twiddled his thumbs a moment longer, frowning, before closing up his thermos and stuffing a sloppily made sandwich he had constructed the night before back into a brown paper bag. Katsuya threw away the rest of his trash before leaving his bench on the sidewalk and making way back to the Konan Police Station.

_This "talk" the Chief wants to have must be about that trip to Lunarvale he's ordered me to take._ Well…he hadn't _ordered_ him to take it. Katsuya actually had asked to take it.

Chief Sakamoto had recently gotten a report from one of his old colleagues in Lunarvale about the ancient ruins there that were acting suspiciously. Neither man was sure if it was a manmade or natural uprising, but, nevertheless, it had startled the citizens and that half of the city had been left vacated for several weeks. It was as though a plague had swept through that division of Lunarvale.

So, the Chief had made a request for anyone willing to take a trip (expenses paid. How thoughtful of him) to the quiet vicinity and make a thorough reconnaissance of the caves.

"Try out some new experiences," the Tatsuya of the "Other Side," smiled and had said one day to him. "Though you're not the same, you and my brother act alike."

Katsuya grimaced at the remark, but let it slide without notice.

"I think it would be good if you did that. Maybe you'll find something that you like."

_Like? Everything I like is here…_ However, Katsuya promised that he would and so put in the request to go to Lunarvale. _Besides…maybe it'll take my mind off of some of my problems here, like with Tatsuya and his absence at home. I know this isn't about saving the world again like it was last time, little brother…_

Katsuya nodded to his fellow peers on the way into the station, who returned the gesture, and he walked into the back.

\/\/\/

Dark blue shades glinted brightly against the rays of the sun as a youth stepped out of a private plane, holding his hand against his head to restrain his thick mane of hair from wildly flying all over the place. _With such unfortunate luck, I wouldn't be surprised if by sheer force, it all ripped off my scalp…_ He stepped away from the still whirling blades of the plane, leaving in a single file line of other people, positioning a cell phone against his ear with another hand.

"Alana?" he shouted into the phone, afraid that she couldn't hear him. "It's me." The noise was becoming distant as he walked in a well evened pace across the blacktop. Someone held the door open for him and he nodded in thanks. "Yeah, I just arrived in Sumaru today. Ca—…Can you hear me now? I just got into Sumaru City…Right. Hey, can you fax me that letter from Saeki later on? …That'll be good. I'm gonna take a walk around the city before going to Narumi anyway. …Yeah, that's the one. I'll call you about it later on tonight, okay? …Eight? Uh-huh, eight's fine. …Sure. I'll talk to you then, all right? …Bye." He stuffed the phone into the breast pocket of his thin, sky blue overcoat before resuming his walk through the airport.

He was a tall youth, though no older than twenty-one. In his left ear, covered by wild navy colored hair, a silver earring sparkled. The youth adjusted the sunglasses on his face, grabbed his two suitcases, and carried on, brushing past people wordlessly, and stepped onto the escalator. _Sumaru City…It'll be an interesting ride…_

\/\/\/

"So, you haven't heard from him all afternoon?" Five hours later, Maya had found the time to sneak a call to her best friend. She shot a glance to her watch. It was a quarter past three.

"_Ugh, Ma-ya. I called him at __**least **__thirty times and hitched a ride with one of the girls from my old work to Narumi. His door was locked, so I wrote a note and taped it to his door."_ From the background noises on Ulala's end, Maya figured that she was out and about in the streets.

"I see…" Maya propped her legs up on her desk and leaned back in her swivel chair, shooting a glance at Mizuno's office every so often to make sure that her cranky boss wasn't spying. "Where do you think he is?"

"_I don't know! That's what I've been trying to tell you! He hasn't called me or anything! He leaves a voicemail on my phone from late last night saying to give him a ring today so that we could discuss the new case details. And he refuses to give me a key to the place because he thinks that I'm __**irresponsible.**__"_ A loud huff was emphasized on Ulala's side, followed by another shrill. _"Our __**one**__ catch and he leaves me out of the loop! What is __**up**__ with that guy! I thought we were supposed to be working together!"_

Maya held her tongue. Recently, all she and her best friend did was fight. It wasn't about rent or lazy habits, like with most roommate situations. It was always about Baofu.

"Well, don't you have the Chief's number that Baofu gets all of his information from?"

"_No. He's a selfish, slimy jerk and he keeps it all to himself. I don't even know the Chief's name because he refuses to tell me."_

Maya quirked an eyebrow. "Ulala…that sounds a bit shady, if you ask me."

"_Yeah, I know, but I get paid, so it can't be **all** for nothing."_

"Even so, haven't you ever stopped to think what might be going on behind those dark glasses he wears? Remember all the secrets he kept from us? I'm not telling you he's untrustworthy, but please keep that in mind. I don't want you to find out that you're involved in anything illegal…"

There was a long pause and Maya was certain that she had angered the fiery redhead. She braced herself for the blow.

Instead, she received a heavily drawn out sigh. _"I know…Look, I have it all under control, Ma-ya. Just give me the benefit of the doubt, will ya? I don't know if you can get through on his phone, but if you do, tell him to call me, okay? Ciao."_

For a long time after that, Maya sat in her chair and listened to the sound of the dial tone. She shook her head and put the phone back on the receiver. Ulala was so stubborn Maya wouldn't have been surprised if her descendants were mules. She removed her legs from on top of her desk and spun around slowly.

Her heart stopped as she watched a furious Mizuno draw her curtains and stand there, hands on her wide hips, fuming at Maya. _Oh boy…I'm soooo not getting out of this…_

As if to further her trepidation, Mizuno used a long, fat finger to summon her with, beckoning Maya towards her. There was no mistaking the heavy shade of red budding at her cheeks and the raven haired girl knew that it wasn't from an excessive usage of makeup and blush. This was born from one-hundred percent anger.

Maya groaned and slowly stood, dragging her feet to her boss's lair and she could clearly see the smoke materialize from under the door, crawling along the floor like the plague. The door became a disturbing and eerie tree, the doorknob producing the figure of a snake's head, mouth wide and flashing two rows of small, white teeth. Inside was the evil witch, Mizuno, a boiling cauldron set directly behind her.

"Amano, what were you doing on the phone? What happened to that report I asked you to write?"

The witch's house transformed quickly back into the shape of a small and musty office. Maya glanced around, the messy stacks of prior Coolest issues lined up along Mizuno's dreary shelves. Her eyes turned back to Mizuno.

"Ah, well, the producer from the sitcom never showed up, Chief. He called in sick this morning. I was talking to him on the phone just now about rescheduling."

"…And?"

Mizuno tapped her fingers against the fabric of her navy blue coat that was too tight for her heavyset form. With her other hand, she adjusted the small glasses on her nose, and ran her nail painted fingers through her short, brown hair.

Maya jolted slightly. "Um, he said that he would get back to me."

There was a hiatus between the two and Mizuno rose a thin, trimmed eyebrow. "I see. Well then, I suppose that that's all right."

"So that's why I couldn't write the report," Maya threw in, hastily. "I've been trying to get a hold of him all day and…"

Mizuno cut her off, waving a hand in sharp movements in front of her. "Never mind that, Amano. I've got something bigger for you to do. Forget the producer."

"Eh?" the younger girl cocked her head in question.

"You've heard of the famous novelist, Masakatsu Nakamura, right?" At Maya's nod, her boss continued, "Rumor has it that he just published his seventh book here in Japan just a few weeks ago. It's hot off the press and more popular than that sitcom."

"Really?" Maya folded her arms across her chest and stood awkwardly.

"Where has your head been, Amano!" Mizuno turned away from the raven haired woman and marched back to her paper infested desk. Stooping low, she reached into her large and creaky brass drawer and withdrew a large hardcover book with the title, _Spacious Light_.

"You're a fan, Chief?"

Mizuno ignored the question. "It's a miracle that someone who just emerged into the media only four years ago could produce seven magnificent works of art _and_ have every single book become a big hit! Not to mention, he's a mystery himself. In every book," Mizuno flipped through the pages, as though proving her point, "there's not a single thing about him. No pictures, no biography, not even a website address or mailing address."

"Well, what about his publishers? Wouldn't they say anything about him?"

"That's the _point,_ Amano. If it were _that_ easy, we'd have a four-hundred page biography on the man! His producers and publishers don't release a single word about him. It's as though he has some terrible secret he's hiding from the world. Or worse…it's like he really doesn't exist at all."

Maya nodded in understanding. "So what is it that you want me to do?"

"If his book was published in this country, then no doubt he's nearby! I want you to find out the scoop on this guy and _get_ him to talk! If we can do that before any of the competition does, do you know how high our ratings will skyrocket!" Placing the book back on the desk, her boss added, "He hasn't been this close to us since he released his first book near Lunarvale. This is our _chance!_ So _don't_ mess up!"

Maya closed the door behind her, making faces on the way out. _'Don't mess up, Amano,' 'the world is counting on you, Amano,' 'and bring me some coffee on your way up!' _Maya rolled her eyes and moved back to her desk. _Guess that means I get to leave early today._ She garnered her things together, stuffed them inside of her bag, and made way to leave.

"Chief letting you off early, Maya?" Yuki called from the other side of the room, her mentor and friend, Fujii Shunsuke, standing beside her.

"Sort of," Maya responded, pushing the 'down' button on the elevator. "I have to go and find some information on a 'Masakatsu Nakamura' for the article."

At the name of the author, Yuki's eyes lit up and she clasped her hands together. "The horror and mystery novelist! I _love_ him! If you find anything out about him, let me know!"

Maya nodded in promise and turned to the sliding doors of the elevator. She stepped inside and firmly pressed "1" on the pad.

\/\/\/

Katsuya had finished packing and turned off the lights to his apartment, which remained silent and almost ghostlike in a sense. Tatsuya wasn't home, as usual, so Katsuya had not been given the chance to bid him farewell. The detective scribbled a short note to his little brother mentioning his leaving on a trip and to call Miss Amano or Miss Serizawa if he needed anything.

After the defeat of Nyarlathotep and the restoration of the city, Tatsuya had lost all memory of everything to do with the "Other Side." It was like his memory had been reset and erased. Still, Katsuya knew how much Tatsuya's presence meant to Miss Amano, so he had "introduced" the two to each other. On the sidelines, Katsuya had asked Maya to keep everything hush-hush, to which she agreed, and told Katsuya if there was anything she could ever do for his little brother, all he had to do was ask.

He lingered in the open doorway a moment longer, running a checklist through his mind of everything he needed. _Money, wallet, change of clothes…_ and so on and so on. When he had finally concluded that everything he needed was in the two duffel bags on either side of him, he locked the door and walked out. _Tatsuya can take care of himself for a couple of days…_ he tried to convince himself. _I'm sure that when I come back, I won't have to worry about the apartment burning down, or catching Tatsuya in the act of… _He held his breath on that last one.

"Maybe I _should_ stop by Miss Amano's apartment before I go."

\/\/\/

She was out of the public library before twilight completely overtook the sky. Maya stopped at the crosswalk, took one look at her watch, and then stepped off the curve to pass with just a couple of people. It certainly was not as busy as it had been several hours before. Now just dawning on six o' clock, Maya was ready to take the rest of the night off, despite what Mizuno had permitted her.

Within the library, Maya found everything but the man himself in the books that the librarian had offered to help her find. And it was true what her boss had said before. The young woman had acquired all seven books (now in her possession, her poor bag begging for mercy from such strenuous weight) and not a word other than his name was uttered within the pages. The publishing company was about as close as she could get and she had written down the address on the palm of her hand.

One side of her mouth curled up, almost frustrated, as she overturned her hand, staring at the black, emboldened print on her palm. She would have to use the address to find the number to contact them, but first, she would have to make up a series of questions to ask.

Looking ahead to the darkening street before her, Maya's eyes turned to the disappearing sun, hoping to make it home before all light fled Sumaru. The honking of a horn brought her attention to the street where a black Honda slowly drove up to the pavement next to her, tinted windows preventing her from seeing inside. Glancing both ways, Maya hesitantly stepped forward and bent down in front of the disappearing glass.

Katsuya Suou rolled down the dark pane, his eyes focused on hers while his fingers drummed against the steering wheel. He turned to the rearview mirror to see if anyone was coming and was happy to know that it was a mile long empty street behind him.

"This isn't exactly legal," she joked. "Don't tell me you think you're above the law now…"

"Miss Amano," he leaned over the car door to avoid the sound of the running motor, "I was going to stop by your apartment, but since I caught you here…" Maya looked at him, quizzically, as he reached into his gray coat pocket and withdrew a folded piece of paper. Handing it to her, he said, "It's the number to my personal line—to our apartment, I mean."

She unfolded the paper to see a number written neatly across it. Continuing to look at the black font of numbers, she asked, "Why?"

Katsuya paused for a moment. "Can I…ask you for a favor?" When she finally returned his gaze, he continued, "I'm going out of town on a business trip…well it's not exactly a 'business trip,' but the Chief called for me to fly out to Lunarvale and look into some rather shady things happening at the ruins there." He saw the look on her face and he rushed, "I know it sounds awkward for a Sumaru officer to be assisting the force in Lunarvale. It's a long story and I'll tell you some other time, if you want, but the real reason that I stopped you was because…"

A pair of headlights blinded him from behind and Katsuya cursed inwardly. It was already bad enough having to place the care of his younger brother into the hands of a working woman, and he knew what it could possibly entail for both of them, from previous engagements on the "Other Side," but he had no one else he could ask such a personal favor from _and_ expect to understand.

The car honked twice, angrily, and passed him, crossing an unbroken line. Katsuya's attention was temporarily taken off of Maya and he looked after the speeding car.

"He crossed me on a double line _and_ he was speeding…!"

She quickly grabbed the car door before he could do anything drastic. "Well, what you're doing isn't exactly _legal_ either, Katsuya. What do you need?"

"Ah, right." He decided that she was right about the speeding car and decided to let it pass…for once. "Could you…by any chance…watch over Tatsuya while I'm gone?" At her sudden intake of breath, he waved his hands at her and hastily added, "I'm not asking you to let him stay at your house or anything, I just want to know if you would check up on him from time to time…"

She relaxed and his tension subsided, too. Maya nodded. "Sure, that's…no problem. How long do you plan on being gone?"

Katsuya shrugged. "I don't know. Two weeks at the latest, I suppose."

Maya slightly frowned. She wasn't used to him leaving town, and she loved Tatsuya dearly, but it was just so hard to see him walk by her and know that he didn't think a thing about her. Besides, she had wanted to talk to Katsuya about Ulala and Baofu's situation that was slowly spiraling out of control. His advice had always been valuable to her and for him to just up and leave now…

"When are you leaving?"

"I'm heading to the airport right now. My plane leaves in a few hours."

"I see…" She stepped away from his car, clutching the number he had given her in her hand. "Well…I will do my best to watch out for Tatsuya." Then, she suddenly blurted out, "Will you call me when you get there?" _What the? Where did that come from all of a sudden?_

For a moment, he was taken aback. Then again, it might have been a wise idea, just to let him know how things were going with his younger sibling.

"Of course," he answered evenly, hiding the nervousness in his voice. "A-Anyway, I need to get going, so, I'll talk to you later. Thank you for doing this."

He left her on the street, window rolled up, and the car taking off down the road at a quickened pace. Maya watched the car for a while, saying nothing, until it disappeared into the mirage of the horizon. She was left alone there, and night had almost completely taken to the sky. Then, her brows furrowed together.

"He was speeding."

\/\/\/

"Right, right," the blue haired youth was talking on his cell phone again, walking along Ebisu Beach with his other hand tucked firmly into his pocket. "Yes, I've been to the house and dropped the things off…I had one of the men meet me at the airport and take me there. I wasn't going to go until later on this evening, but dad kept calling and…what? …Yes I loved the flower arrangement, mom…No, they were all carnations. Thank you, I appreciate the gesture." The youth rolled his eyes. "I'm looking forward to seeing you too, mom…Yes, Alana will be here next week on the debut…You'll be here to see her? I'll let her know…Yes, yes…I will…I love you too…Bye."

He clicked the phone off, and restrained himself from throwing it into the rolling waves that were nearly taking his legs off as the tide came in. The youth checked his large watch and sighed. It was time to go home anyway, and he had spent the entire day on the phone and unpacking.

"Bummer," he mumbled. Turning, he stepped onto the wooden planks of stairs and trudged to the top, almost downcast. Phone still in one hand, he looked both ways down the narrow road before throwing himself into the street, making a mad dash towards the other side.

His eyes were so preoccupied on the shining headlights approaching from within the distance that he didn't even notice that he had gotten attacked from behind.

"Gah!" He toppled forward, a massive weight following afterwards, and he met the ground all too abruptly. The phone in his hand clanked across the pavement several times before falling over the edge.

He did not hear it land again.

"Huh?" Whatever had fallen on him had released its hold on his back and he quickly crawled over to the side of the sidewalk, looked down, and saw the wide sewage hole in the crack of the road. Such a terrible fate it had suffered. It would be remembered in another dark hour…

"…My phone…" It was almost a whimper, and he sniffled a bit, looking into the drain where his cell phone had plummeted to its untimely demise.

"Oh my gosh…" came the gasp from behind. Shortly, a woman was at his side, looking down into the same hole in the road. "Did it…" she stared at him, eyes wide, "…fall in?"

He said nothing as he saw the horror on her face and realized her instant apologetic tone. It was an accident, he knew. _That's karma for you. No wonder jaywalking is illegal._

"It…" _Come on now, it was an accident, Hero. Be a little more sympathetic._ "It's all right." He forced a smile and stood up to brush himself off. "It's just a phone. Besides, I was getting sick of the little thing anyway…" _Saeki was supposed to call me tonight…_ He could see that she was not convinced, and he held out his hand to help her up. "Honest. It's no big deal."

"No, I…" She took hold of his hand inattentively, rose to her feet, and shook her head. "Really, it's my fault. I wasn't watching where I was going. I was running and I…"

"I was jaywalking," he shrugged. "So I guess we can both take the blame."

Still, her face was contorted in such a rueful fashion that there was no way she was going to let it slide. "I'm…so sorry."

He stood taller than she, but his eyes were not hateful. They were gentle and soft and the blue hair that hung in his eyes set off the deeper shades of it in his eyes. Then his eyes lit up, accompanied by a smile. "You want to make it up to me?"

She nodded, slowly, but slightly hesitant. The woman looked wary, as though wondering what on earth it was that he had in mind.

"I'm new in Sumaru. I arrived here today." He laughed as he reached behind his neck to rub it in a nervous fashion. "I suppose you can say that I need a guide."

A single eyebrow rose. "That's it? That's all you want me to do? Just…show you around the city?"

"What? Is it too much for—"

"No, no, that's not it! I just…well…I could always buy you another phone or something…"

His face was soft, and she must've realized this. He was being completely truthful. "My name is Hero Stonefield," he told her. "'Stonefield' from my dad's side of the family. He's American and my mother is Japanese."

"Ah," the woman looked down at his awaiting hand and she took it, shaking it enthusiastically. "I'm Maya Amano. I work as a reporter here over at Kismet, so I can show you all the highlights of Sumaru…if you'd like."

"Maya?" He paused for a moment, as though digesting the name fully. "That's a pretty name. I'd like that, Maya."

\/\/\/

Katsuya was on the way to the airport, merging across different lanes into the one that branched off to the right, when he received a call on his cell phone. He bit down on his lower lip. _It's probably the Chief asking if I'm at the airport yet…_

Taking one hand off of the steering wheel, he cautiously reached into his pocket, withdrew his phone, and flipped it open.

"Suou here." he spoke into the receiver.

"_Katsuya?"_ He was surprised. The voice belonged to Ellen.

"M-Miss Kirishima?" Katsuya swerved to avoid oncoming traffic and quickly put the phone in between his neck and shoulder, using both hands to turn onto the ramp. "What a pleasant surprise! Are you already on break again?"

"_Yes, Nate and I both are back to stay for a little while. Yuki called us and was mentioning a 'get-together' with all of the old gang from St. Hermelin. You know Yuki, she's always been the mother of our group…"_

Katsuya let her trail off for a moment. _No, I don't know Yuki, so to speak…_ But then he said, "I'm very happy to hear that. Did you just come back today?"

"_No, yesterday. Nate got back today though."_ There was another pause and Katsuya turned at the light, only a few miles from the airport. _"Listen, would you like to go out for a drink tonight? There's something I really want to talk to you about…"_

"Um…well…" He looked into the rearview mirror where another car from behind was coming up on his bumper, quickly. "I'm kind of tied up at the moment. I got called away by order of the station."

She sounded disappointed. _"Oh."_

"It's the new chief," he continued in further detail. "He's sending me to Lunarvale."

All melancholy vibes left her and her voice jumped with enthusiasm. _"Oh! Lunarvale? What are they sending you there for?"_

"Long story, but they want me to check out the ruins there. It's no big deal, really, but I'll be back in about two weeks or so."

"_Wow, I've never known you to leave like this before. There must be some drastic changes going on…"_

"Yeah," Katsuya looked up at the sign that boldly read, "Airport," in white letters as he passed by on the road. "There _are_ some changes."

"_I'm surprised that you'd leave your brother, Katsuya."_ Then her voice hit a high note again, _"Say, would you like for me to watch him? It would be no bother and I'm sure that we would have fun spending time together."_

He tried to concentrate on the task at hand of finding the turnoff for the airport, but Katsuya certainly did not want to seem rude and push Ellen off of the phone since she had taken the time to call him.

"Uh, I thank you for the offer, but Miss Amano has already agreed to do that."

"…_Oh. Well…I'm sure he won't mind if I stop by anyway, just to say "hi," right?"_

"No, no, of course! By all means, do so." There was the airport. "Eh, just please don't mention anything to him about what happened four months ago, all right?"

"_Yes, yes, I promise."_

"Thank you, Miss Kirishima. Well…I'm sorry that I can't talk longer, but the airport is just ahead. Another time?"

"_I'll hold you to it. Goodbye."_

"Bye." Katsuya closed the cell phone and focused on finding his wallet to pay for parking.

\/\/\/

Any glaring contradictions? Major OOC problems? Let me know. Flames are used to roast peanuts, so please avoid them.

Mysterious Loser


	2. Hotshot

**Dislcaimer: **I wish I owned Persona. I really do. But I don't. That's life. I don't Hamlet, either. That's Shakespeare for you. And Yorick's dead. So I definitely don't own him. Because he's also Shakespeare's. XD

**\/\/\/**

**Dance to the Waltz**

**Chapter Two**

**Hotshot**

**\/\/\/**

"You worthless excuse for a man!" Ulala pushed her lips into the phone, eight o' clock that night. "I've been trying to call you all day, and you don't even _once_ think to pick up the phone? What is _wrong_ with you?"

_"Shut up, woman. What do you think you know, anyway?"_ Baofu's voice was slowly cracking up on the other line. It wasn't him, though. Ulala knew it was the connection.

"Honestly, more than _you._ You told me to call you this _morning_, Baofu, about a _case, _remember?" The redhead was more than furious. She began to pace in her room, angrily, flailing her free hand about while her other tightly gripped the phone.

Maya had failed to come home in the last few hours, and it left Ulala bored and alone. Reaching for the phone, she, once again, attempted a number that she had been dialing thirty-five times that day. She was simply lucky when she managed to get through, but his cranky, "hello," put her in a despicable mood very quickly.

She had asked him his excuse for not calling, to which he had none, and she flared up. It was amazing that her matching colored hair did not do the same.

_"Well, obviously I __**wasn't**__ home, stupid. You don't keep __**calling**__ after that point."_

What had he just said? No, he didn't just say… "_What_ did you _just_ say? You and I are _partners,_ moron!"

_"__**Secretary.**__ How many more times do we have to go through that, Serizawa? It's really tiresome, even coming from __**you.**__"_

Her cheeks puffed out wide and into circular shaped red balls. How _dare_ he speak to her like that.

"I'll see you in hell, Baofu!" and with that, she slammed down the phone.

Moments later, the door slowly creaked open, and Maya slid in.

"You're late getting home," Ulala huffed, not even bothering to turn around.

"I'm not late," Maya argued, her voice low, yet somewhat filled with disappointment. "I've been standing out in the hall for about an hour now."

With that, the redhead spun around. "What?" she asked, dumbly.

Maya sighed, exasperated, and set her bag down on the ground. "Look, Ulala, I'm not even going to go there. I was just waiting for you and Baofu to finish fighting." She forced a glare at her older friend. "What happened now?"

"What do you _mean_ 'what happened now?'" Maya braced herself for the explosion and walked out of Ulala's room, the frantic woman following close behind. "The same thing as _before,_ of course. I call him and when I _finally_ get through to him, and ask him where he's been all day, he responds, 'shopping.' Now what is _that?_ And then I ask him why he didn't bother calling me and he says, 'I don't know.' Ma-ya, is that normal?"

Nearing her breaking point, Maya gritted her teeth, aimlessly cleaning up around her own room. She was fed up with the constant bickering between the two. "With Baofu, yes. But he's being very irresponsible about his work. I understand that he was supposed to call you about the case, but isn't there any way you can receive the paperwork on your own?"

"No," Ulala huffed and plopped down on Maya's bed while the raven haired woman cleaned around it. "He keeps it all to himself."

"…That's ridiculous…" the younger woman muttered.

"I _know_ it's ridiculous, Ma-ya, but that's not gonna fix anything. This isn't the first time he's blown me off. He's actually been doing it a lot recently."

"I know that," Maya responded, stooping low to pick up some dirty clothes. _Whenever Ulala and Baofu fight, Ulala and __**I**__ fight. Why can't she see that this is tearing us apart! _"Ulala, if he's being this way, then why don't you find a _new_ job?"

The elder rolled her eyes, leaning back on her elbows, sprawled out across Maya's bed. "I _told_ you why already. This job pays too good to let go, Ma-ya."

"It's not a good job if your employer keeps you locked in the dark, Ulala."

Ulala sighed, rubbing her temples.

_Which is worse?_ Maya wondered. _The fights between Baofu and her or the fights between me and my best friend?_

"Ma-ya, we all know how Bao is. It's just—"

Maya snapped. "Then _why_ are you telling _me_ about it?" Ulala froze, staring up at the terror that was her best friend. She had never seen Maya this angry before, and the redhead never knew what a fright she could be. The younger woman's face was a crimson red, and she hurled all of the clothes that she had gathered to the floor. "_You_ don't seem to understand, Ulala. All you _do_ is complain about how much he irritates you, and how much he _hurts_ you. Lord, I've been _trying_ to help you and you do nothing but defend him and make _me_ out to be the bad guy." Raking her hands through her scalp, Maya did all that she could not to scream.

In turn, Ulala bounded off of the bed and pushed her face into Maya's. "Is _that_ what you think, Maya?" When she had failed to accent Maya's name, like she often did, Maya knew that she had unleashed the beast inside of Ulala. But it didn't matter anymore. "That I _want_ this?"

Maya forced herself to stare evenly into her friend's eyes. "Isn't it? You make it seem like you have no other choice but to _stay_ with him and his 'so-called' job. _W__hy_ don't you find another job, Ulala? Why?"

"I don't have to answer myself to _you,_" Ulala stormed past her, reaching for the door that led to her room. "You're supposed to be my best friend and I _can't_ believe you'd _say_ such a thing." Whirling around on one foot, she pointed an accusing finger at the younger woman. "I can't believe that you're not more understanding."

"What do you _want_ me to say, Ulala?" Maya shouted back, her voice perfectly matching her opponent's. "Every time I ask to call him up and give him a piece of my mind, you say I'm butting into your life and just make things worse." Suddenly, the younger woman's face grew sad and she pleaded, "I just want to help you, Ulala. But you always stick up for him. You call me and tell me the things he's said and done to you, and when I get mad, you tell _me_ to calm down. What is it that _you_ want, Ulala? Tell me, please."

Ulala stood there for a moment, holding her tongue and staring Maya in the eye. Her face had lost its red, but the younger woman knew that she was seething on the inside. Ulala had a hot temper, though Maya knew that, deep down, she was a sweet woman. The only reason she could figure that Ulala would stand up for Baofu like this, even after his insensitive words and actions, was because she had developed feelings for him. _This is so uncharacteristic, even for you, Ulala._

Finally, the redhead exhaled through her nose, and turned back to her room. "Leave me alone." And she slammed the door behind her, causing a few pictures and knickknacks to fall from the walls and shelves. Maya stared after her for quite some time, not exactly sure _how_ to feel.

\/\/\/

The cause for all the trouble sat alone in his lair, swinging a bottle of hard liquor, loosely in between his fingers, back and forth. He lay on the couch, staring at the ceiling above him, where a whirling fan spun its blades around in a never-ending circle. Baofu glanced at the phone out of the corner of his eye, stifling a laugh. _She said, "I'll see you in Hell!" …What a hysterical thought…_

She was probably throwing things around the house now, or starting another fight with Maya. Baofu felt slightly guilty for that—having to put Maya through the torment of his and Ulala's epic battles. _What am I thinking? I feel "guilty?" Nah, not true. _But, then again, the older man knew that he had been less than kind lately.

There was a reason for it, just like always.

It wasn't as though he enjoyed fighting with Ulala, seeing her cry, or watching Maya become distressed because of the cause between them. In fact, it almost tore him up inside. Especially since Maya and Ulala were such good friends, he hated to see them be divided because of him. Still, it was strange for Serizawa to be so apt to starting fights, anyway. Usually, she was the ditz and caught onto things last. Not quite a pacifist, but not quite like him, either.

At first, Baofu had silently made a joke about "that time of the month" for her, but five days had long since passed, and three and a half months just seemed _too_ long. After the fights began, he thought that things were back to normal with her. Then, Maya began calling.

"This needs to stop," and "I can't take much more," were the usual introductory topics to their conversations, and sometimes it would take hours to calm the usually optimistic woman down. He was running out of excuses for acting the way that he did, and he truly _did_ want Ulala to be his partner in his job, but something had come up recently that he just couldn't ignore.

It was fine when the mansearching cases began, and there wasn't much to report, but when the chief called to send Baofu an opening to an ongoing case, that's when the fights only grew more heated. When he had received the papers earlier that day, that's when he knew that things were over with. Ulala just couldn't work with him anymore.

It had nothing to do with her. That was completely honest on his part, but things were slowly spinning out of control and Baofu found himself gradually avoiding her and her phone calls. More than once this week had she come to his place to work and he would have the door locked—a silent gesture to "go home." When he had returned home earlier that day to find a none too pleasant sounding note scribbled on his front door that, all in all, past the cursing and threats, she had told him to call her—which he put off, too.

Baofu had been off his guard when he answered the phone inattentively and she began ranting and raving about him being undependable and lazy. Before the call, Baofu had been thinking of a way to let the woman down easy and "fire" her. However, all thoughts had been forgotten after that and he ended up joining in the battle that he had fought so hard to avoid.

The real reason for his thoughtless behavior was none other than the IC case.

It wasn't a new case, that's for sure, and he was almost positive that everyone on the police force (maybe even Suou, too, in between all of his weeping and wailing) everywhere had heard of it. The chief had informed him before that it was still an active case, and had been for the past four years. Heck, even Baofu hadn't been so blind as to not have known about it. However, all past thoughts about it were strictly put to the "Old Maid" cases.

\/\/\/

"Chief?" Baofu adjusted the headphones on his head and the mouthpiece to his wireless phone. "How's the static?"

_"It's fine," _the man replied, his voice deep and old. _"Listen, did you get the copies yet?"_

Baofu chewed on the end of an unlit cigarette. "…Yeah," he replied after a moment. "What does it all mean?"

_"It's about the IC case."_

"Ice?" Baofu couldn't resist the sudden urge to crack a joke. "As in, icepack or ice cube?"

His humor went unnoticed. _"No, IC, just I-C. It's the new name the specialists have given to the case. It used to be bundled in along with the Joker murders, remember?"_

Baofu sighed and reached into his pocket for his handy lighter. "Yeah, I remember. They wanted to believe that the killings had spread to all sorts of places, like Berlin and Southampton. However, there was something different about all the murders. They weren't torn to pieces like in the Joker killings. The cause of death for all the victims seemed to be asphyxiation and their bodies were shriveled and fragile looking, as though all the blood and fertility had been sucked dry."

_"To top it off,"_ the chief cut in, _"there were the Roman Numeral markings carved into their foreheads. After Tatsuzou was brought down and the Joker unmasked, we thought that everything was back to normal."_

Baofu pulled the mouthpiece away for a mere second to cover his mouth and the cigarette, pulling back on the switch. He exhaled and a cloud of smoke swirled up around him. "Then there was that murder in Berlin three months ago."

_"Exactly. The numbers 7XVIIIIC were carved into his head. He was found in an alleyway just outside a hotel. Middle-aged, decent job, never seemed to be in any trouble."_

"So we're just trying to determine if there's a motive behind all this…" Baofu chuckled, tilting his hand containing the cigarette away from him. "Numbers, you say? Sounds like a poorly constructed math problem, if you ask me. 7X sounds like Algebra."

_"Well…perhaps they aren't numbers after all. Perhaps they really are letters that are forming a code. No one has been able to crack the code yet, but the numbers __**do**__ rise." _Baofu leaned forward in his chair and he heard the chief clear his throat, preparing a speech, no doubt_. "According to the recent files we've obtained, the natural digits __**have **__gone from 6X to 7X."_

"And the total number of victims?" Baofu didn't want to hear the speech. He wanted the chief to cut right to the chase.

_"Over the past four years? Seventy-eight."_

The tap buster frowned and drummed his fingers against his counter top, taking a long drag off of his cigarette. "And you think that this sounds normal, Chief? Sounds like a monster to me…" He shook his head, his long hair moving along with his sudden movements. "That's an average of two to three murders a month. And we have no leads, you say?"

_"No. Every lead we get turns out to be a dead end. Not to mention, these murders have been evolving, so to speak."_

"Evolving?"

_"The way these people are dying and the way it's being done. At first, the victims were without marks and carvings on their foreheads. They were found in random graveyards, buried, with a mock marker above their heads. A limb like a foot or arm would be protruding from the ground, so the caretakers or other civilians could spot them easily. It always looked like they suffocated, so we knew the murders were tied. Then, about five or six months later, that's when the carvings started."_

"What was the first carving? Can you recall?"

_"Hmm…" _There was a brief pause on the other line, then the sound of shuffling papers. _"That information __**should've**__ been in the papers I already sent you two months ago, but if you don't remember, I'll look for you." _Not a moment later, the chief, said, _"1XIC."_

His eyebrows lifting, Baofu repeated, "1XIC? I see…"

_"That's not the half of it," _the chief continued. _"Before long, these people were being killed just like that, except, they were being buried just wherever. Eight months ago, there was a report of an arm coming straight up from out of the street."_

"What?" Baofu's sudden intake of breath nearly caused him his _own_ case of asphyxiation, but he grabbed the cigarette before it could be completely inhaled. "Straight out of the street?"

_"It didn't even look like anyone had tampered with the concrete, and it would be very difficult to do, but, indeed, there was a body with the mark "6XVIIIC" in the middle of the road."_

Baofu decided to smother the cigarette before it caused him further injury. Pushing it back and forth into the face of the glass ashtray, he dropped the paper stick completely and said, "Well, I don't doubt your thoughts of Roman Numerals, Chief. I'll check it out though." Baofu paused, slightly concerned with what being involved in this particular case entailed for him. Naturally, the man wasn't scared of anything, but with no leads and no suspects, this, indeed, was going to be a very dangerous case.

_"I appreciate this, Kaoru. I have never doubted your talents in this profession, which is why I've come directly to you. I know how you feel about working outside your territory, but could I ask you to move overseas for a while? The topic of this case is more popular elsewhere. I'll even pay expenses for that nice young friend of yours."_

He was talking about Ulala.

Baofu frowned.

There was no way he'd _ever_ involve her in this.

"Thanks, Chief. I'll get back to you about it."

_"Make sure to read those reports, Kaoru. It sounds apparent already that you haven't."_

"I know, I know. Don't worry about it."

\/\/\/

That had been the call he received early this morning—when Ulala was scheduled to call. But the day was over now, and Baofu remained passed out on the couch, dropping the bottle of liquor from his hands and letting it roll across the floor.

\/\/\/

Maya was sprawled out across her bed, her eyes drifting to the lone balcony outside where the sun warmly smiled upon the lanai and the small patch of plants she had planted there early last summer. Ulala had left without a word that morning. She hadn't even bothered to tell Maya where she was going or when she'd be back. _Guess she's still steamed from last night._

Half of an hour passed, and the young woman forced herself into a cold shower, thoughts rewinding in reverse. _I hate fighting with her and it's something we never, ever do. I just wish she understood what she was doing with this indecisiveness of hers…_

She had, honestly, tried to understand the older woman's pain. Really, she had. But month after month of it, Maya could not help but grow weary with all the fuss between Ulala and Baofu. She had tried pleading with Baofu, but, apparently, nothing had worked. She debated about whether or not it was best to pay Baofu a visit herself.

Stepping out from the shower, Maya dried her hair and her body, and reached for her clothes of the day. Today was her day off, so she pulled on something relaxing—a navy blue shirt and dark jeans which hung loosely at her ankles. She moved back and forth from room to room, multitasking from running a comb through her hair, to painting makeup on her face, to finding her slippers—anything to get her mind off of last night.

Then a knock came to the door.

Dropping everything, Maya whirled around in her room, and inwardly cursed. She had a good inclination of who stood at her doorway from the promise she had made the night before coming home. She slowly padded over to the door, reached for the handle, and pulled it open.

Hero Stonefield stood there, dressed in a black turtleneck with matching denim pants. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, loosely, and he glanced down at her, his sharp eyes being tormented by the long bangs of his unkempt hair.

"Well?" he began, saying nothing at first, but realizing that she was going to do the same thing until someone broke the ice. "I see you're dressed."

_I forgot he was coming by today._ "Hero, I'm sorry but…I'm really not in the mood for this right now. Can we do it tomorrow?"

When Maya first met him, her first impression had been the "tall, dark and handsome" type who rarely used words at all. And, indeed, he was. But nothing had prepared her for what he was about to do.

"What's that?" he asked, stumbling back out into the hallway. "Thou hast the deepest desire to deny me a moment of happiness?" His eyes were hurt and his hand clutched his heart. Instantly reaching into his pants pocket, he withdrew the case that had once beheld his precious cell phone. "Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hath borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is!" He turned his eyes away from the phone case, eyebrows arched and almost touching, as he wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "My gorge rims at it. Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know not how oft. Where be your gibes now? your gambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment, that were wont to set the table on a roar? Not one now, to mock your own grinning? quite chap-fallen?"

When she was certain that he was quite finished, Maya's mouth gaped to say something, until she could do nothing more but fall to the floor, laughing most hysterically. He bowed, awaiting applause, which she gave him, heartily. He walked into her apartment and stooped low to help her to her feet. When Maya had recovered and took his hand to balance herself with, she held her reddened face, tears of laughter forming at the brim of her eyes.

"Actor?" she asked, still smiling.

"Not really. I was forced into the school plays back in high school, but I was never any good at it." Shrugging, Hero admitted, "Crowds always made me feel uncomfortable."

Maya was astonished. "But…you did so well there. What was that? _Macbeth_?"

Smiling, he shook his head. "No, _Hamlet_, actually. A friend of mine is the actress, but she got me hooked on the plays. And, well, you see the result. But, no, I'm not an actor."

"I can't believe it," she breathed. "You should be."

Again, he shook his head. "No, I haven't the time for it. Now then, are you going to show me around or not?"

Realizing that she was feeling much better now, Maya shot him daggers. "You only did that to get me to go."

"No," he corrected, waving a finger in her face. "I did it to make you feel better."

"Liar."

"And I see that you _are _feeling better. Therefore, you _can_ show me around, right?" When she said nothing, he leaned back to stretch. "Or, of course, you can just buy me another cell phone…"

"Fine, fine. You win."

She heard him snicker softly.

\/\/\/

"Well?" Yuki fiddled her thumbs and sat on the expensive looking sofa of Nate's penthouse. "Have you heard from them yet?" Her eyes moved up to meet Ellen's bright ones and then back to Nate's.

"Other than those who live here in Sumaru," the rich boy began, "I haven't really heard from any of them."

"I see…" Yuki lowered her head, musing. She had called this get-together, the _least_ they could do was respond to say "yes" or "no." "And…who all are we waiting on?"

"The same three that no one has heard from," the only male in the room continued. He sank back further into his armchair, crossing one leg loosely over the other. "Mark, Alana, and Hero have absolutely no manners."

His words were stern, but his eyes were playful. The girls knew, even if he wouldn't admit it, that he was excited to see everyone again.

"And you're no help, Nate," Yuki snorted. "Lots of help _your_ men have been. Maya has told me all about your playing both sides to her friends."

Nate instantly sat up, unlocking his legs and fingers clutching the armrests. "What in the world are you implying? I only did what they asked me to do; it's not like I did it to be spiteful. Besides, it was for the safety of everyone."

"That's _so_ like you," Yuki rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out. Ellen merely giggled.

"Katsuya was in such a flurry when Baofu exposed his savings to his little brother, Yuki. You should've seen it."

"I…I…" The heir to Nanjo looked around, flabbergasted, at the women who were tag-teaming up against him. "You simply don't _understand,_" he nearly bellowed. He quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, that's not the point. And I _**did**_ have my men look into the whereabouts of the three; they just haven't really responded is all." Sitting back into his chair, Nate gave an exasperated huff, and folded his arms over his chest, bitterly.

Yuki chuckled. "Well, you should've said that in the first place, Nate. It would've saved us a lot of hassle."

"You didn't give me _time._ You delved straight into what I did prior."

His face was red now, and his spectacles were slowly fogging up from the anger.

"All right, all right, don't make such a fuss," the photographer continued. "Have at it. What happened?"

Adjusting his glasses, Nate took a deep breath and said, "I had my men find Mark. Apparently, he's back from America and has relocated in Lunarvale again."

"Again?" Yuki and Ellen chorused.

"What's he doing back there?" Ellen questioned a moment afterward.

He shrugged. "Search me. Last I heard he was doing very well in his art study in New York. Apparently, he took Mary's breakup harder than we all thought."

"Oh my," the model gasped, holding her delicate fingers to her lips. "What…happened?"

"It's not a happy end, I must say that." Nate shook his head. "Evidently, he lost all interest in art and moved back just recently. Someone told me that he's been working as a manager in one of the new Club Zodiacs that have opened up there."

"Oh…manager…isn't…that bad…" But Yuki knew better. She bit down on her bottom lip and looked to Ellen, who was much in the same state.

"Poor Mark…" the model shook her head. "All because of…Mary?" At Nate's nod, she asked, "Does Mary know?"

Sighing and leaning his head back, Nate answered softly, "I haven't the heart to really tell her. She says she's moved on from Mark, but it would hurt her to hear that he's lost himself again. It's the reason why they broke up in the first place. When she asked me to find him after they split three years ago, I told her that he was still in America. I never told her about the drastic decline in his career."

The girls were still for a moment longer, and Nate took the opportunity to clean his glasses. Yuki broke the silence.

"Well, you got a hold of him, right? What did he say?"

Nate was not as quick to answer as he normally was. Instead, he let the moments drag on a little longer. And then he broke the ice. "At first, he seemed interested in attending. Then he asked if Mary was going to be there." Ellen and Yuki knew where this was going. "When I said 'yes,' he suddenly began to make up excuses that he couldn't come after all."

"What a punk," Yuki's brows furrowed. "He and Mary haven't spoken in three years. I think it's high-time they kissed and made up. I know Mary's willing to do so."

"This would be a perfect opportunity, too," Ellen agreed, though her answer came more in a whisper than Yuki's enthusiastic outburst.

"I tried to convince him," Nate admitted, honestly. "But after that, he really wouldn't say much more. I suppose, in a way, you could say he hung up on me."

"That's it," Yuki nearly jumped up from her chair. "I don't care _how_ much it costs, I'm going to buy a plane ticket, go back to Lunarvale, and bring him here. I'll drag him kicking and screaming if I have to."

This prompted a giggle from Ellen and a half smirk from Nate.

"That," Nate said, "I would actually pay to see."

"Well," Yuki broke her glare and burst out laughing, "I would, _too._"

"The reunion is a little ways away," Ellen reminded them. "So we still have some time to try and convince Mark to join us. In the meanwhile, Nate, how's Alana?"

"Oh Lord," Nate turned and allowed his face to fall into the palm of his hand. "Where to begin with her?"

"Is it…that bad?" Ellen asked, still trying to sober up from Yuki's last comment.

Nate peered over his hand, eyes almost glaring. "Yes and no."

"This, I must hear," Yuki scooted her chair closer and leaned forward.

"I found out that her parents grew tired of her and sent her to a reformation school in Paris, France," Nate explained. "Somewhat like a boarding school, but it was for delinquent girls."

"Alana…a delinquent?" Ellen blinked.

"Yes, my thoughts exactly," he nodded. "But it teaches women propriety and responsibility…both traits that Alana greatly lacks."

"And? And? And?" Ellen squealed, "Did it work?"

The rich boy shrugged. "I haven't seen her, so I can't say. However, get this: she's taken up acting."

"Acting?" another echo from the two women.

Nate waited for the screeching to subside before continuing on. "Yes, acting. And you know what else? People can _tolerate_ her. Now _there's _a feat that even _I_ could not do."

"_Nate,_" Yuki reached back to firmly grasp a fluffy object and slugged him with a pillow. "That's cruel."

He attempted to ward off his attacker and suddenly jumped up from his own chair. "It's true. Ellen, I think you were the only one who could truly stand her, am I not correct?"

"You just _want_ me to beat you with this pillow, don't you?"

"Yuki!" he swatted back. "Do you _want_ me to tell you the rest or not?"

She stepped back, but her cheeks were budding with red. He adjusted the sky blue cloth around his neck with the black, bold "1" printed on it.

"Anyway," he said, calming himself. "That's all I know about her. She hasn't returned my call that I left either. I'll probably try again later on today."

"And Hero?" Ellen's eyes lit up. "What have you learned about him?"

Nate saw the sparkle of hope in her eyes and he flinched slightly. "I…haven't found him…" he admitted, though it was painful to do. "I never could."

"Never could?" Yuki stood only a few feet away from him and she rose her "weapon" again. "You're the richest guy I know and get everything you _want._ What do you _mean_ you couldn't find him?"

"Exactly what I said," he said, dourly. "I couldn't find him after he left Lunarvale. I know, it's odd, but it's the truth."

Ellen's hope died. "So…even you couldn't find him…"

"Ellen," Yuki turned towards the model. "Don't be like that; we'll find him." The photographer pivoted back around to see Nate, teeth clenched. "_Won't we, Nate?_" The way she said it sent chills down his spine. Still, he only cleared his throat, ran a hand over his slick, black hair, and turned away.

"Look, I don't respond well to threats. I told you already that I'm doing the best I can."

"He's right," Ellen defended. "Let it go, Yuki."

"But…" Yuki glanced back and forth between them, and then sighed. "So…now what?"

"I'm going to try and call Alana again," Nate told them. "From the sounds of it, Mark hasn't heard from Hero either, but then again, Mark is too deeply wallowing within his depression and misery to get in touch with anyone. The last who even heard from Mark was Brad, and that was several months ago."

"And Chris?" Yuki asked. "I know they're good friends too."

Nate agreed. "They are, but every time Chris invites him to come out and visit, Mark makes up excuses. This dilemma has gone far enough, if you ask me."

"Yeah," Ellen's voice was flat, but she tried to smile. "I suppose I can ask around to see if anyone has heard from Hero."

"You do that," Yuki concurred. "And I'll do the same. There has to be _someone_ who has heard from our notorious leader."

"Anyway, I'll let you know what I come up with," Nate promised. "Until then, there's nothing to do but wait."

\/\/\/

Tatsuya Suou walked in the very next morning, knowing that no one would be home. He had spent the night at one of his friend's houses, and he knew that he probably had it coming to him from his brother later on, since he was at work now. _Geez, but I tried to call him. It's not my fault he didn't pick up._

He closed the door behind him, and realized how cold the house was. Tatsuya shivered and rubbed his arms. "Man, what an igloo. What the heck? Did he just forget to turn up the heater or something?"

Despite the darkness emitting from the living room, Tatsuya maneuvered around the couch and chairs and stalked down the hall towards his brother's room. _Watch, he left the heater on in there. Guess he's trying to punish me for staying out all night._ However, he was surprised to find Katsuya's room was equally chilly.

Not to mention, things looked…different. As in "gone." Like…like he "moved out" gone. His pillow was gone, the comforter had vanished, and when Tatsuya rushed to rummage through his brother's drawers, almost all of his clothes had been "magicked away." The teen frowned as he hovered above Katsuya's sock drawer, fingers drumming against the wood of the dresser.

"He abandoned me," the boy concluded and brusquely made his way back to the front room, where the conjoined kitchen was—but not before turning up the thermostat on the heater as he passed. If Katsuya was going to say anything about it at all, there would be a mile long letter on the counter of the kitchen.

And indeed there was. Tatsuya snatched it up, turned to lean against the counter, and read the note aloud. "'Tatsuya, will be gone on a business trip for approximately two weeks. Call Miss Amano on her cell if you need anything. Stay out of trouble, brush your teeth, change your clothes, blah-blah-blah, and do your homework. Will see you when I get back. Love, big brother.'" Tatsuya crumpled up the letter and tossed it into the trash. "Touching. He didn't even say where he'd be."

Of course, there was always the police station. He could call there to make sure his brother didn't take off on some "vacation" or the other. _I doubt he would run off with some girl. He's terrified of them._ The thought made him chuckle. Turning to the wall that had the phone attached, he pulled it from the receiver, and dialed the number to Chief Sakamoto's office.

He only had to wait for a few rings before someone picked up—but it wasn't the chief.

_"Captain Nishidate," _the man answered, his voice sounding somewhat impatient.

Tatsuya had met the captain once when his older brother had taken him to the station to celebrate his promotion to becoming a detective. It was boring, Tatsuya admitted to himself, but he did it for the pride of his big brother.

"Captain Nishidate," Tatsuya spoke into the receiver. "It's Tatsuya, Katsuya's little brother."

_"Tatsuya? Ah, yes, I remember. What can I do for you?"_

Tatsuya began to twirl the cord around his index finger. "I'm looking for my brother. Do you know where he is?"

_"Ahhh…did you already try his office?"_

"Yes," Tatsuya lied. "He's not there."

_"…Just a moment, Tatsuya, the chief walked in. I'll ask him for you."_

"I appreciate it." He waited as he was put on hold, eyes drifting to his brother's crumpled letter in the trash can. If all else failed, he could _probably_ call Maya, his brother's "friend," as he had said before. _What a joke. He's a terrible liar._ Tatsuya rolled his eyes, slightly bouncing his head back and forth, waiting for Nishidate to come back on the line.

The phone on the other end jiggled for a second. _"Tatsuya?"_ Captain Nishidate's voice came back onto the receiver.

"Yeah?"

_"Your brother's in Lunarvale. He volunteered to go and check out some ruins there for us. He'll be back in two to three weeks."_

Tatsuya frowned. "What? He volunteered?" _That's not what his stupid letter said!_ "And three weeks?"

_"Two to three."_ The captain was puzzled, _"You sound confused. Did he not inform you about this?"_

"No," Tatsuya answered, bitterly, "he didn't."

_"That's awfully strange…It seems unlike him."_

"I guess." The teen shoved his other hand into his pocket.

_"Well, I apologize on behalf of him."_ _Don't be sorry,_ Tatsuya clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. _"Is there anything you need?"_

"Not at the moment, but thanks for asking."

_ "Well…you know who to call if you need anything…" _

_ Not you guys._ "I appreciate it."

_"All right, then. I will talk to you later. Take care."_

"You too." And Tatsuya hung up the phone. He stared at it for a few minutes before turning around and muttering, "Lousy brother." Then he stopped and his eyes were drawn back to the phone, like a magnet. "I wonder if Maya knows about this, or if he just volunteered her to 'baby-sit' me."

\/\/\/

"Peace Diner? We had one of these back in Lunarvale." Hero remarked as he held his cheeseburger in both hands.

"So you _are_ from Lunarvale," Maya smiled, holding a solitary French fry in between her fingers. She pointed at him with it, smiling. "I _knew_ I've seen your face before."

"Oh?" he replied, looking at her oddly. "Well, up until yesterday, I could be almost positive that I hadn't met you before." He leaned down to take a bite from his burger. Before he did, however, a smile curled at his lips and he asked, "Where on earth could you have possibly seen me?"

Maya stiffened, realizing that she hadn't even told him. Sumaru Television, the curse, the cat, Ellen's fears… _Persona user…_ Strangely enough, Maya could even sense the resonance from him. It wasn't faint either. Hero was a Persona user himself, but she couldn't be quite sure if he knew it.

"Ah…" she halted, thinking of an excuse, "…You know Ellen Kirishima, right?"

Hero jolted upright at the sound of the name. "Fhwhy?" he inquired with a mouth full of food. "Bif fare fuumfing prong?"

Maya laughed as he paused and worked to clean up the sprayed particles of food from the table. "Sorry," he muttered, reaching across to her side to clean up the mess with a huge stack of napkins once he had regained his composure.

"What did you say?" she questioned, ignoring his apology.

"I asked if something was wrong. I _do_ know her, but I'm surprised that you do, too." Shooting a glance upwards, Hero added, "Small world, I suppose."

"Yes," Maya nodded. "Nothing's wrong, either. But she talks a lot about you and showed us a picture. I knew it was you from the moment I met you."

"Wow," he grinned. "I can't believe I'm so popular. How did you meet Ellen, anyway?"

"We met her through Nate."

"Nanjo?"

"Right."

Hero's grin broke and he fell from the chair from shock. "I haven't seen him in ages. I can't believe he'd speak to you, though, with his status and all…" At Maya's concerned look, Hero quickly assured, "Ah, don't worry. He's actually one of my very good friends. I just find it silly that he can't really take a joke."

At that, Maya mirrored his smile. "I can agree with you there."

After excusing everyone's awkward glances, the blue haired fellow picked himself off from the ground, brushed away the dirt from his pants, and seated himself back in the chair where his half eaten hamburger waited for him still.

"I can't tell you how ecstatic this makes me," he admitted, his eyes bright and shining. "Anyone who's a friend to them is more than a friend to me. This makes me even happier that we met."

Stirring her fry in the small paper cup of ketchup, Maya heartily agreed. For the first time that day, her mind hadn't revolved around anything from the night before, or even from past incidents. Although this man appeared to be a quiet, hardworking man, he had surprised her more than once that day. Even from Ellen's descriptions of him, she had not once ever mentioned that he could be so playful. She could see why he had won over the young girl's heart.

"Me too," she said, looking up from her red swirls and sticking the fry in her mouth.

"So tell me," Hero perched his chin on his elbow, eating his burger from there. "Who else has crossed your path that I may know?"

Maya began to tick off the people she could think of on her fingers. "Let's see…Yuki?"

"Mayuzumi?"

"Yes." At his brilliant grin, she added, "She's a photographer at Kismet with me."

"Ah, so you're good friends with her, too?"

"Oh yes, she has a bright personality."

Hero quirked an eyebrow. "Yuki? Are we talking about the same 'Yuki' here?"

Maya looked into her plastic tub and frowned. All the fries were gone. _Ah, well, that's okay._ "Why?"

"Well, let's just say that Yuki was like the mother of our little group. She had a job before the rest of us, extra spending money, was more responsible than say…my friend, Alana…" At the mentioning of her name, he asked, "Do you know Alana Yuka?"

"Alana? Ah, no, I'm afraid I can't say that I have met her."

He blew it off. "That's all right. She hasn't been in touch with anyone else. I don't think Mark has, either, but that's just upon speculation. At least, that's what Alana's told me."

"Mark?"

"Inaba. Guess you don't know him." Hero shrugged. "No big deal. What about Mary Sonomura? Do you know her?"

Maya's face lit up. "Oh, Mary's a darling. I've never met someone who was so willing to give more of herself to help others."

Hero nodded, "Yeah, Mary's like that. Is she doing well?"

"Yes, she's studying at the Hiiragi Therapy over in Konan ward."

"That's good to know. I would like to see her while I'm here."

Before Hero could ask more about his old friends, a jittery little tune went off and Maya grabbed at her bag, withdrawing a pink cell phone from inside. "Hello?"

_"Maya? It's Tatsuya."_

The raven haired woman gasped as her other hand fled for her lips. He had never called her on her phone before. It was quite…a shock.

"Maya?" Hero's face paled, as though something bad had happened, and he leaned over.

Shaking her head, Maya used her hand to dictate that nothing was the matter and he sat back down, slowly. "Tatsuya? Hi, what's up?"

_"Sorry, I know I've never called you before. My brother gave me your number."_

Maya made a face. _Leave it to Katsuya._ "Ah, that's all right. He told me yesterday that he did because he was going away for a while."

_"So that's true, right? He never said anything to me."_

_ That's strange,_ Maya thought. _His little brother is the rising sun in Katsuya's eyes. It's odd to imagine him not telling Tatsuya where he was going and when he was going to be back. Now Tatsuya on the other hand…_

"Hmm…I'm sure he meant to, but it was a last minute thing, he said. He was off to catch a plane when I saw him."

_"Oh…__**really?**__"_ The teenager sounded upset.

"Tatsuya, Don't be angry at him. I know sometimes he's like that, but he cares deeply about you." Her eyes looked up at Hero and she mouthed, "pen." He gazed at her, awkwardly, and then mouthed back, "got'cha." He patted around his shirt and pants, and leaned down to explore the deep fissures of the denim pockets. "Besides, I already told him that it would be okay anytime for you to come and see me for anything you need."

_"Yeah, yeah, I know that. He wrote that in the crummy letter he left for me. I called the station and the chief told me had he volunteered to do this."_

"Volunteered?" A tiny clank came at her direction, and Maya glanced down at the ballpoint pen rolling along the surface of the table. Snatching it up, she reached for a napkin, held the phone in the crook of her neck, and began to scribble something out. "He never told me that. He said it was a business trip. He made it sound like they had ordered him to go."

_"My thoughts exactly. So, he didn't tell you he volunteered for this either? I can't believe him…"_

Maya tossed the almost illegible written napkin in Hero's direction, who caught it deftly, and began to read:

_"Would you mind if I invited a friend to join us over here?"_

He peered over the napkin, where her wide eyes were staring at him, almost pleadingly. Hero smiled and shook his head.

Maya's face brightened and she said, "Listen, Tatsuya, I don't know what you've got planned for today, but I'm here at the Peace Diner in Yumezaki with a friend and you're more than welcomed to join us. Whaddya say?"

There was a brief silence on the end and Maya was certain that Tatsuya was still too angry at his older brother to understand anything she had just said. In fact, she could've almost sworn that he had just cursed. _He'll probably turn me down._ But then he replied, _"Sure. Why not?"_

"Great," the raven haired woman beamed. "I'll see you over here then, okay?"

_"Sounds good. Talk to you later."_ Then he hung up.

"What was that about?" Hero asked as Maya stuffed her phone away.

"Uh…one of my friends went out of town yesterday to Lunarvale," she semi-smiled on that last part. "That was his little brother on the phone, Tatsuya. Apparently, Tatsuya hadn't heard a word about his brother's leaving…not to mention…" Just then, the woman almost scowled, "…Katsuya never said a _word_ about having volunteered for this."

"Katsuya? Tatsuya's older brother?"

"Yes."

Hero grinned. "That's a cute little ditty. Wonder whose idea it was to do that?"

"To do what?"

"Their names sound so close alike. It's adorable."

Maya ignored him. "I wouldn't have minded if Katsuya had volunteered to do this—after all, it's _his_ work, but I wish he would've _told_ me that. He made the trip sound out to be something that the station sent him to do."

"Why so angry?" Hero shrugged.

"I just…" Maya turned away. "I guess I don't like seeing Tatsuya this flustered, that's all."

"Oh?" He looked at her, skeptically, though it was meant more as a joke. When she shot a glare at him, he shifted his elbows on the table, finished off the last of his hamburger, and cleared this throat. "So, Kismet, eh? What is it that you do there?"

She noticed his abrupt change of the subject, but let him slide anyway. "I'm the editor of the magazine, 'Coolest,' at the Kismet office." Maya announced. "I manage the reporters."

"Coolest, eh?" Hero leaned forward. "What kind of magazine is that?"

The editor was a tad disappointed to learn that he had never heard of them. "It's a popular teen magazine," she answered.

Sensing the bitterness in her voice, Hero quickly stood, gathering the trash into his arms. "Ah, right. I'm sorry…"

"Don't worry about it," she responded, dejectedly. "I've actually been getting that a lot recently."

He forced a laugh. "Heh, well, don't take it personally. I'm sure that it's a great magazine. Do you have any articles on you? I'd like to take a look at your work." He stood up from his chair.

"On me? Well…" Maya reached back into her back, revealing the latest issue for the month of October. "There's one in there that I wrote," she confessed, handing it to him as he walked back from the trash can. "If you look on the table of contents, I think it's on page fifty-two."

Indeed he sought out the article. When the bold lettering flashed in front of his eyes, he asked, "'Daring Debut Draws Nearer?'" His eyebrow lifted and, at her nod, he sat down at his seat.

She waited patiently for several minutes, drumming her fingers over the countertop of the small table, awaiting his approval. Deeper and deeper his face fell into the book, almost as though he were falling asleep. She frowned. He…_wasn't_ falling asleep…right?

"You okay?" she asked him after ten minutes had gone by. "I know the article's not _that_ long…"

Just then, the level of his eyes appeared over the brim of the magazine. They were slightly slanted, and Maya wasn't quite sure _what_ he was thinking.

"I'm not going to tell you how to do your job, but you've definitely got potential."

_What's __**that**__ supposed to mean?_ "…Should I take that as a sideways compliment?"

"In a way…yes." He wiped the remaining crumbs off of the table and sat the book down, spread open, and he pointed to the large font of a title. "The name of the band you're writing about is 'Alleyway,' right?" At her silent nod, he continued, "Unless you're trying for a 'Mary sells seashells by the seashore' kind of approach, I'd revise it."

Maya's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Well…" he tapped his finger twice against the page and leaned back, hesitating. "Look…I'm not saying to try for a cliché. Those things suck the life right out of your writing, but, see, there's no variety of words there. And the title sounds flat. If you read it aloud, it seems kind of obvious."

She wasn't going to pretend that she wasn't offended, and Hero knew that, too. He immediately scooted his chair back and began to stand up.

"I'm sorry," he instantly apologized. "It's not my place to say such things. Forgive me." He bowed, slightly, and turned to walk past her.

She caught his hand.

"What would you do different?" he heard her ask, her voice stern and serious.

"Pardon?"

"I asked," twisting her head so that she could stare up at him, she repeated, "what would you do different?" When he blinked, Maya continued, "Look, you already told me that the article is bad, so the _least_ you could do is try to help me fix it."

"I didn't say it was _bad_," he argued, but sat back down at his chair anyway. "I _did_ say you have potential. See, view me as a common critic. Now, people like me aren't going to be so nice, so I want to know if it's even worth giving a constructive review. Well?"

Her face remained unchanged, but after a moment, she nodded.

"All right," he smiled and pulled his chair in. "Look," Hero pointed back to the title. "You have the name of the band here, right? You want to make the title of it firm and easy to grasp. Even putting something like, 'Alleyway Debut Rolls…Right Out of the Alley!' sounds lame."

Hero was relieved when she burst out laughing and her eyes became friendly again. He returned the smile. "Something dramatic like, 'Alleyway Hits Sumaru City…Hard!' puts a little more juice into your title. It makes the reader say, 'wow, what's this about?' I'm not saying that that's what the title has to be, but for things like this, I'd stay away from the little bouncy, fun phrases. I mean…" he leaned forward, his hands shaking, as though he were getting excited with what he was saying. "This is _big,_ right? This is _hard_ and _important!_ _Everyone_ should know about this band! So, that's exactly what needs to be said: 'Alleyway—Big! Hard! Important! Anyone who's _anyone_ should know about this.' Do you see?"

Maya rubbed her chin in thought, and nodded. "I see. And? What about the rest of the article?"

Growing comfortable with talking to her about her work, Hero asked, "Maya, how do you sort your notes when you write your paper?"

She looked at him, strangely. "I write down what people have to say about the topic at hand and put them in the article. It's just a simple, standard strategy."

Hero stared at her for a while and then pulled out the pen he had lent her earlier and grabbed a napkin. Leaning down, he proceeded to draw a large "I" on the delicate fold, and labeled the "I" as "Idea." Below the word, he wrote "Alleyway" and then slowly directed his gaze back up at Maya.

"'I' is for 'Idea.' Our 'Idea' is the Alleyway band. Our subtopic is how they are planning on making their debut here in Sumaru, right?" He tried not to sound condescending, but Maya didn't notice anyway.

"Yeah," she agreed.

"Well, from there, we need smaller topics that branch off from that, yes?" She nodded. "What can we say? Ticket sales? Popularity? Even a small biography?" When Maya began to eye him, nervously, Hero moved back to the article. "Here, you say, 'Alleyway can be most delineated by their teenage outlook, which can be related to by most of the youth today, and spent their childhood in Denmark, attending the same schools until their graduation.' Directly following, you proceed to write, 'Teenagers in Sumaru are looking forward to their first debut, as a student says here…'" Hero trailed off. "It's inconsistent."

"How?"

"Well…remember back to our three smaller topics? Ticket sales, popularity, and biography. So, which category would that first sentence fit into?"

Maya glared at him, not much liking the idea of someone telling her how to do her job, but she answered anyway. "Biography."

"And the second?"

She frowned again, but wasted no time, "Popularity."

"So, what more could we say that can branch off of these topics and keep the paper flowing?" He handed her the article and she reread it. Maya said nothing for quite some time and he smiled. "You don't seem to understand, Maya. You definitely have an eye for the people, but your formatting skills could use some work."

"And how would _you_ know all of this, Mr. Smart Guy?"

Hero leaned back in his chair. "Let's just say that I did very well in English class. Consistency keeps the reader."

Maya chewed on her bottom lip for a while longer, staring back and forth from her article to the man sitting before her. "So you think you can make my papers better?" She placed the magazine back into her bag. "I'm a poor, unorganized woman. Whatever your rates are, I can't accept them."

"Well, despite the fact that it _was_ you who caused the untimely death of my cell phone, I was thinking about doing it for free."

Again, he received a look to kill. "Okay, Hotshot, if you think you can do such a better job than me, I'll _let_ you handle my articles from now on." She stood up and turned to head to the restrooms. "But don't even _think_ of compensation! This was entirely your doing."

As she stalked off, he chuckled and whispered, "Don't worry. I wouldn't dream of it, Sis."

\/\/\/

Baofu jolted upwards at twelve-thirty in the afternoon. There was a terrible ringing in his ears and it was rendering him nauseous. The bottle that he had held in his hands the night before was long since gone from his vision.

Or what was left of it.

_Whatever,_ he growled and as his mind focused, he realized that the ringing was actually real. _Gah, it's the stupid phone._ But when he tried to pry himself from the couch, he was welcomed all too abruptly by his cold floor.

"Hello," he mumbled to it. The phone was still ringing, its loud and drawn out chime pushing him further and further to the brink of anger.

Baofu crawled across the floor, fingers outstretched and clawing at the carpet before him, pulling the weight of his body along from behind. He cursed himself for having placed the phone on the other side of the room and his bloodshot eyes glared up at the jittering instrument of the devil on the small table that was slowly approaching him.

The tap buster had a massive hangover from drinking since the morning before. And now, all he wanted to do was pay a visit and pray to the Porcelain King. He reached up, fingers tight, and pushed himself up on all fours when he still couldn't grab the phone.

The entire phone and hook crashed down on top of him, clanging wildly on the floor. But at least the ringing had stopped.

"_What?_" he almost snarled into the receiver.

_"Kaoru," _it was the chief and he didn't sound the least bit intimidated by Baofu's nasty greeting. In fact, he sounded…very serious.

To the best of his extent, Baofu sobered up and changed his attitude. "What? What is it? What's wrong?"

The chief took a deep breath before he spoke again. _"We found number seventy-nine in an alleyway behind the factory in the Konan ward."_

Baofu dropped the phone.


	3. Avoiding You

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own Persona.

**\/\/\/**

**Dance to the Waltz**

**Chapter Three**

**Avoiding You**

**\/\/\/**

"_Kaoru? Kaoru, are you still there?"_ It took a moment for Baofu to regain his senses, eyes locked solely on the ground. He was in still disbelief, numb, and yet, a thousand thoughts ran through his disjointed mind. _"Kaoru? Did you hang up!"_

The long haired man shook his head and forced himself into a sitting position, despite his protesting muscles. "I'm still here," he said, bringing the phone back to his ear.

"_I heard a crash," _the chief observed. _"Is everything all right?"_

"Fine, fine," Baofu nearly cut him off. "I just dropped the phone is all." Then he slapped himself in the face. "I'm…sorry. It's been a long night. Could…Could you repeat that? I don't think I quite heard you clearly."

"_I said that the IC case has founds its seventy-ninth victim in Konan ward behind the abandoned factory."_

Baofu frowned. "That's what I thought you said. What's going on?"

"_The police got there before we could, so everything's in their hands now."_

The tap buster did not restrain himself to let out a string of brash vulgarities. _Suou and his men always getting in the way!_ The chief waited for the cursing to cease before continuing on.

"_I'll try to get what I can, but it doesn't look good. The police have everything. It's really a shame that you don't know anyone in the violent crimes division…"_ Baofu frowned. _There's __**no**__ way I'm asking him to…_

"Yeah, it is," the long haired man agreed. "Listen, do you know anymore? Perhaps I can try to wire into a line or…"

"_You didn't hear this from me, but I know the number of the guy where they're shipping the body to—which guy in the division of the morgue, I mean. Now, he isn't going to give up this information **willingly.** I don't know how much good it's going to do to tap into his line, either. It's a pity there isn't a detective or other officer we could ask investigate those files."_

_You're pushing it, Chief._ Baofu chewed on his lower lip. "Let me see what I can do about that. You just send me the number with the report you get, all right?"

"_I'll have it to you in about an hour. Be on standby until then. Goodbye."_

When the line went dead, Baofu tossed the phone away from him, but he could still hear the dull sound of the dial tone. The buzz fluttered around in his mind, almost as though it were encircling his head at that very moment, for a countless period of time. He knew he could've handled avoiding Serizawa if he went out of town on this case, but now that the murderer was right here in Sumaru…

He held his face in his hands for quite some time.

\/\/\/

Hero was standing in line again at the Peace Diner, ordering shakes for the two, when Maya's cell phone rang for a second time. She leaned down over her chair and placed a hand into her bag. _That had better not be Tatsuya saying he got lost or something._

But the number that popped up was _far_ too familiar. The ends of her lips turned downwards into a deep frown and she answered to talk. "What is it, Baofu?" she asked, not quite laying out the red carpet.

"_Amano, I just tried Suou's cell phone, but the Wuss isn't picking up. It's kind of an emergency, so could you have him call me?"_

"You have a lot of nerve asking anything from me, Baofu," the normally cheerful woman narrowed her eyes at the phone, as though it were really the tap buster that she had a hold of at that moment.

He was silent at the other end only for a moment, so Maya figured he was lighting up.

Apparently, he wasn't.

"_Listen, Maya, can we stay off the grounds of Serizawa for the moment? I know exactly what you think of me, but that doesn't matter right now."_ The dire tone in his voice made Maya's anger towards him disappear. He was never this serious. _"Please, could you just get a hold of him and tell him to call me as soon as possible?"_

Maya looked back up to the line where Hero waited impatiently, tapping his fingers against the counter top, currency in his hand.

"Baofu, he's not in town right now," she told him. "He volunteered to take some case in Lunarvale, so he won't be back for about two weeks."

"_What! He just left Tatsuya by himself? That's incredibly unlike Suou! What do you think the problem is?"_

"I thought the situation strange, too, but I don't know why he did it." Maya hesitated for a moment, but then added in a whisper, "I'm kind of worried about him…"

"_Well, never mind him for the moment. It's probably just that time of the month for him. He'll be back to normal in five days."_

"Baofu!"

"_Anyway, that still doesn't explain why he didn't pick up his cell phone. I called that, not his office."_

Rubbing her throbbing temples, Maya explained, "He's probably still on the plane; I guess he has it turned off. Baofu, he said he'd call me when he got there so I'll let him know that you need to talk to him." The bell rang on the front door to Peace Diner. Maya's gaze spun around the room where a young man in Seven Sisters uniform stood in the door way, motorcycle helmet under his arm. "Listen, Tatsuya's here. He's not taking his brother's running off any better than you, so I'm trying to entertain him for a while."

"_Suou ask you to do that?"_

"Yes, but I wanted to do it anyway. In a while, Baofu, you and I _need_ to talk, all right? …Baofu? Baofu?"

The other line went silent, and Maya was greeted by the dial tone. _He hung up on me! How dare he…!_

Staring down angrily at the cell phone, accompanied by a shaky hand, Maya was startled as a finger tapped her on the back of her shoulder.

"I came," Tatsuya said in his deep, mellow voice.

She whirled around, wide eyes staring up into his dark ones, and she forced a quivering smile. "Tatsuya," Maya began, "I'm happy you came. Please, have a seat." She gestured to Hero's chair and he happily obliged.

"Thanks." He set the helmet under the table and looked at her. "So, who's your friend?"

"Well, he's the one who…" When Maya glanced over to point him out, she saw Hero, towering over the table and its inhabitants, two large shakes in his hands.

He blinked rapidly several times, as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing, and his frown nearly split the bottom of his jaw. Maya jerked back, uneasy at seeing such an angry face. Tatsuya, though did not make any sudden movements, had quite the startled look.

"So…I _see_ how it is…" Hero said, eyeing them both. "I leave for _one_ minute to retrieve _your___shake…" His eyes fell hard against Maya's. "…and you give away my _seat!_ Now, I've heard of rude people, but _this_ just about tops them all!" He turned sharply, shakes still held firmly in his hands. "I guess I'm just gonna have to go get another one."

When Hero disappeared from the table, Maya turned back to Tatsuya, face puffed, and erupted into laughter when she could hold it no more. Seconds following her sudden outburst, Tatsuya found himself chuckling as well.

"Yeah, funny, funny, funny!" They heard him call out from the other side of the diner, and received plenty of looks from other customers.

"Is that your friend?" Tatsuya asked, his interest rising.

Maya's face glittered and her stomach felt light, as though she were drifting through something soft and fluffy. Truly, she was happy. "Yup, that's him."

The extra chair skidded across the floor, and Hero did it deliberately, just to emphasize his "anger." Though he received sharp glares from the customers and employees alike, he brushed them off as fast as he had brought the extra seat to the table. He sat himself in the middle, on the far edge that was away from the wall, and began to sip off of his shake as he shoved the other one in Maya's face. "Here," he had said, his brows furrowing, and she avidly took it, giggling.

Maya took the liberty of introducing the two to each other, which prompted a quick, "so how did you guys meet?" from Tatsuya. Both Maya and Hero stared at each other, and the former burst out into hysterical laughter while the latter rolled his eyes and flatly explained the drama of his cell phone and the rush of the reporter.

"Women just can't seem to keep their hands off me," he frowned. "And then my poor cell phone…"

"You were _jaywalking!_" Maya pointed out. "Don't blame this all on me!"

"It wouldn't have been that bad," Hero said, "if it had been a more attractive girl who had bumped into me instead…"

He received the dirtiest glare that the reporter could muster and her fierce and fiery eyes shot back in Tatsuya's direction. "He had the nerve to tell me that my interview project stinks."

"I did _not_ say that!" Hero whirled his attention around to her. "I could've _sworn_ that I had said that I admired your work, except your formatting was off! How does that make you a bad journalist?"

"You know what?" Maya's eyes narrowed and she pointed a long and sturdy finger in his direction. "I don't understand what gives you the right to say that my work is terrible. Just let me see some of _your_ journalism, Mr. Hotshot, and _then_ we'll see who needs work on their formatting."

Hero threw his hands up, giving the "Who? Me?" look and his eyes fell back on the teenager, who wasn't able to hold up his iron mask façade for much longer. "You guys act just like siblings," Tatsuya remarked, shaking his head and smiling. "Are you sure you don't know each other from a past life?"

"I wonder…" Maya mused.

"Geez, I hope not," Hero gave a Cheshire grin and dodged a blow, the hand, palm out, coming his way. "Hey! Hey!"

Tatsuya found himself liking the atmosphere more than ever at this point, and his curiosity got the better of him. "So, what is it that you do?"

When Maya settled down and Hero was able to sit properly in his chair again, he looked to Tatsuya. "What? As an occupation?"

"Yeah, I guess. You seem old enough to have one. What are you? Twenty-five? Twenty-six?"

Hero frowned, eyes slanting, and he gazed back and forth between the teen and the reporter. "I'm twenty-one," he muttered, "thank you very much."

"Oh," Tatsuya stood corrected, but said nothing else. "Well, yeah, occupation is what I meant."

With that, Hero leaned back into his chair, arms behind his head for support. "Oh, a little of this, a little of that. It's not _really_ one occupation. As I told Maya before, I write, I paint, I play the piano…"

"He can recite plays, too," Maya boasted, remembering back to the incident that took place in the hallway in front of her apartment.

"Really?" Tatsuya quirked an eyebrow.

The navy blue haired man forced an unhappy stare at Maya, whose face only read, "What? It's true!"

"I suppose," Hero agreed, closing his eyes and dropping his head towards the surface of the table. "I mean, I'm not _much_ of an actor, and I don't really like crowds, but, yeah, I know some plays."

Maya ignored his humble proclamation and, with lighted eyes, leaned forward and used her arms in wide gestures as she said, "Pay no attention to him, Tatsuya. I mean, if you could've _been_ there earlier when he pulled out his cell phone case and recited this scene from _The Tempest—_"

"It was _Hamlet,_" Hero interrupted.

"Sorry, _Hamlet._" Rolling her eyes, Maya continued, "But he pulled out his cell phone case and began speaking about it as though it had been a dead person that he had known and was using this quasi-formal accent and…"

Tatsuya chuckled and his eyes darted to Hero, as though half expecting him to repeat the entire scenario from earlier. The look that Hero gave simply told Tatsuya, "access denied."

"Sounds like quite a show," Tatsuya admitted. "Now I _do_ wish that I could've been there."

"Yeah," Maya seconded. "I swear, from the look of this guy, you'd think that he was such a lone wolf with the black clothes and the—"

"What's wrong with my clothes?" Hero cut in, looking deeply hurt. "I _like_ black!"

"And the deep eyes with the lines on his face, and—"

Hero quickly rubbed his hands over his mouth and forehead. "What are you talking about!"

Maya stopped. "Well, aren't you a lone wolf? You sure seem like it."

"I am," Hero confessed, "but that doesn't mean that I don't have feelings too. You can't just step all over me like I'm only a pillow, Maya. I'll bet you've never seen a lone wolf cry."

Maya's face changed, and her smile disappeared. Tatsuya…on the "Other Side" when…_ Hero, I think you'd be surprised…_

"What?" Hero's voice brought her back to earth. "Was it something I said?"

She shook her head, repeatedly, and then moved her attention to the table surface. Hero paused and then glanced at his watch.

"Crud," he said, standing up. "I forgot that I have to call someone." Then, he smiled. "It would be easier than having to use the pay phone outside _if_ my cell phone wasn't swimming in who-knows-what in the sewer drain."

"Would you…!" Maya pounded the table with the flats of her hands and watched as a laughing man walked outside to the pay phone.

\/\/\/

"Saeki," Hero held the receiver close to his mouth, using his other hand to drown out any excess noise from the background, such as passing cars and talking pedestrians. "It's Stonefield. What's up?"

The line was silent for a moment and Hero expected a nasty reply from the older man. And that's what he got. _"Just __**what**__ do you think you're doing? I tried calling you at __**least**__ ten times last night, to which I didn't even get ringing! What? Did you turn off your phone or something? Yuka called me and said you wanted a faxed copy of the letter from the publishers."_

Hero broke him off, closing his eyes. "I know, I know. Listen, it's not what you think. I don't have a cell phone anymore, so don't try to call me on it again."

"_What? Not have a cell phone? What happened to it?"_

Looking away from the pay phone and sighing into the air, Hero turned back and replied, "Let's just say that it's in a sewer drain."

Just as he thought, he got another round of abundant silence. When it finally ended, he heard several curse words on the other end. It was no big deal, really; Saeki was just that kind of a person. You either liked him or you didn't. He was much older than Hero, and the guy had, in fact, never steered Hero wrong before in his lifetime. He truly cared about repercussions and the best course of action. That was why Hero liked him at all.

"_You got some explaining to do, kid, but now's not the time. Yuka has been trying to call you, too, and she told me that it was urgent. I guess you'd better bust butt and call her…then maybe get a new phone afterwards."_

"Well," the navy blue haired man began, "I'm getting a phone line tonight. After it's installed, I'll give you the number. What do you say to that?"

"_That'll do. We'll talk more then. Where are you, anyway? Sounds like there's a typhoon going on behind you."_

Hero turned to look back at the lines of oncoming traffic and passing people. He had almost wished Peace Diner could've installed their pay phone _inside_ the diner.

"Yeah, that's…traffic. I'm outside. Look, I'll just call you tonight, okay?"

"_Fine, fine, trying to get rid of me as always, I see. I understand. But I'm gonna hold you to your word. Call me, Hero, or else…"_

Hero set the heavy phone back onto the hook, shaking his head. _People just don't even say "goodbye" anymore. Man, whatever._ Lifting the phone back up immediately afterwards, he deposited a few more coins into the slot and waited a moment before dialing another number.

He knew that Alana would be on break during this time, which was why he had waited until just now to call her and Saeki. Her acting schedule was very tight and often times, she couldn't return his phone calls until days after he had phoned her. He was lucky, however, when the phone had picked up and a bright, cheerful voice came on the other end.

"_Hello?" _It was Alana.

"Alana?" Hero spoke. "It's me."

She blew up. _"Hero Stonefield! Don't treat me like I'm your other friends, all right! I called you more times last night than I could keep count of! You asked me to do a favor for you, I did, and then you don't even pick up the line! Why would you" _For a moment, Hero knew her as the same ditzy blonde from back at St. Hermelin.

"Lower your voice, Alana, everyone behind me can hear you."

"_**Don't** even give me that! What excuse could you **possibly** have to give me?"_

He cut her off again. "My cell phone is in a sewage drain, happy?" Before she could ask "why," he hastily continued, "I was jaywalking and I bumped into this lady. The phone was still in my hand at the time and it fell into the drain on the curb of the street."

Just as he thought, Alana was quiet. _Actually, for her, that's a mighty big feat…_ But when thirty seconds had passed of unspoken silence, he worried that she had hung up on him…or died…or something.

"You there?" he asked.

"_I can't believe you did that,"_ she muttered, almost below audibility. She was discouraged, but trying hard not to show it.

"I'm getting the phone line installed tonight at my house," Hero explained, hoping to close up some of the tension between them. "Will you forgive me if I call and give you my number then?"

There was another moment of silence, but it wasn't as long as before. _"I suppose…"_ was her response.

Hero beamed. "Listen, I just got off the phone with Saeki. He said you have something important to tell me."

"_Oh, right. That. Well…Nate called me a few days ago."_

"Nanjo?"

"_Yeah, him. I didn't answer the phone though, and I haven't called him back."_

Hero's face went blank and he blinked several times. Alana loved to talk, and it didn't matter to whom. For her to even refuse a phone call from one of her very good friends was a little out of the ordinary. Whatever her reason was, it had to have been important. "Why not?"

"_He mentioned that Yuki was gonna hold a reunion or something. He wanted to know if I'd come."_

"Where at?"

"_Where you are—in Sumaru."_

He slightly chuckled. "Great, that means I don't have to drive very far."

"_Yeah, but, that's not the problem. See, I know how you told me that you haven't spoken to the old gang since we graduated, but Nate asked if I knew where you were and I didn't want to just give you up without your say so, ya know? So that's why I waited."_

"That's very thoughtful of you, Alana," Hero said, and thanked her. "Perhaps it's about time that I _do_ get back in touch with my old friends." Then he paused. "I _am_ invited, right?"

This prompted a break of laughter from her. _"That's the story, I'd say."_

"Ah, good. I was worried there. Anyway, Nate's here in Sumaru already. I suppose he's already on break then, right?"

"_Yup, that's what his message said."_

"I think I'll stop by and pay him a visit," he rubbed his chin. "It'll scare him right out of his rich little body." When she giggled again, a thought occurred to Hero and he quickly said, "Don't tell him that you've seen me or that I'm coming to the party. I sort of want it to be a surprise for everyone."

She made a "tsk" and replied, _"That's vicious. Make everyone believe that you're not coming and then show up for the cookies and ice cream. Typical you."_

"Not quite," he corrected. "But it would be amusing anyway. So, I guess I'll head on over to see him. You call him and tell him you're going, but don't mention me, all right?"

"_Aye, aye, Captain. You got it. I'll talk to you tonight then, right?"_

"Yeah."

"_You **promise,** this time?"_

"Well, unless something happens, like this pay phone falls in the sewage drain, then yes, Alana, I promise."

"_Good. See ya then."_

"Bye."

And he hung up the phone.

\/\/\/

When Hero walked back inside, he had his hand gripping, nervously, at his neck. He was sharing an awkward smile with the duo, who gazed upon him with strange eyes.

"I, uh…I'm afraid that I can't stay…" he admitted after he joined his friends back at the table.

Maya looked disappointed. Despite the fact that she had been the one who refused to go out in the first place, she could not deny that she enjoyed coming after all. "Why?"

Her face made it all the worse and Hero turned away, sheepishly. "I got a call from one of my friends. It's about Nate."

At that, Maya's eyes widened and her brows turned upward, anxiously. "Oh my, is he all right?"

"No, no," Hero held his hands up, stalling her, "he's fine. There's just something important that I have to take care of with him." Letting his arms droop naturally at his side, he asked, "Can we continue this on another day? I know I asked you to do this for me and all…"

"It's fine," Maya assured, convinced that his intentions were good and that he hadn't planned on simply running out on them.

Hero nodded. "I'll come by tomorrow morning, again." Then his eyes shifted to Tatsuya. "Hey, nice meeting you. I hope to see you around."

"Same here," Tatsuya agreed as Hero waved and left the two in the diner.

Maya stared after him for quite some time, puzzled. _There at the end…he seemed so serious. I wonder if something is wrong…?_

"So," Tatsuya began, giving a wry smile. "Is he your new boyfriend?"

The word "boyfriend" nearly dropped Maya from her chair. Still, she regained her composure in front of Tatsuya. _Boyfriend? Why on earth would I need a boyfriend now, right in the middle of all this chaos? _Well…that was slightly a lie. There really wasn't as much _chaos_ as there had been four months ago.

"O-Of course not," she forced a laugh, noting the skepticism on his face. "Why would you think that?"

"Just a thought," he shrugged. "It's not really for me that I'm worried about."

Her face fell slightly. _Oh…so that's how it is…_

"Not for you? But then…"

"He seems like a nice guy," Tatsuya cut in. "I actually think he's pretty…okay." At first Maya had thought that the teen was hiding his disapproval for Hero, until a smile parted at his lips. "I honestly do."

"Really?" she asked, wanting his wholehearted opinion. "You think so?"

"Yeah," Tatsuya's eyes lowered to the table surface and the half eaten burger he had ordered while Hero had been outside on the phone. "Seems like he's a well rounded guy. Heh, I wonder if my brother would like him…?"

Maya's face beheld a serious gaze and she blinked. "Tatsuya? What do you mean by—"

Then, as though he had thought of something funny, the teen began to chuckle, holding his hand over his face.

"What's so funny?" she finished instead.

"Nothing," Tatsuya replied quickly. "I just thought of something." He reached down for his burger, looking slightly happier.

Maya stared at him for a while longer and she finally gathered enough courage to begin, "Tatsuya, are you angry at your brother for leaving?"

He didn't seem too distressed by the question, but shrugged as his mouth went to work, chewing the burger in his mouth.

"Is that a 'yes' or a 'no,' Tatsuya?"

He swallowed. "Neither."

"Well?"

The teen went to take another bite from his hamburger, but then caught Maya's stern gaze and thought better of it. "All right, maybe a little."

"Is it because he didn't tell you or because he took the trip in the first place?"

"It really doesn't matter to me," he lied with a straight face. "He has a job to do; I just wish he would've acknowledged it to me beforehand."

She titled her head to one side. "Are you worried about him?"

"Should I be?"

"Well…" This time, it was Maya who was fidgeting in her seat. She wasn't quite sure how to approach the situation. Her thoughts drifted back to when she had been on the phone with Tatsuya and how angry he had sounded. Though she was happy to see him not quite as disconcerted as before, something still poked at her about his nonchalance now. "I know that this is a first time for him, taking off like that. I just thought…well, by breaking the habit, it would unsettle you a little bit more."

"Not really."

"But earlier on the phone…"

At his sharp glare, Maya's mouth clamped shut. "I'm sorry I brought up the subject at all…" she mumbled, lowering her gaze.

There was silence between them for a little while longer and then Tatsuya spoke again, "Guess I missed the party when Hero left, didn't I?"

Maya forced a half smile. "No, you didn't miss much, except for his criticism about my work."

"Does that bother you?"

Her half smile grew into a wider, fuller one. "A little. Guess I got a little conceited with my work and I didn't quite expect such feedback from him. Still…he offered to help me and if he _does_ know what he's talking about, then maybe the Chief won't pick on me so much."

"Is that the one at Kismet?"

"Yeah."

He gave her a half smile. "Well, I hope for the best. I would actually like to see how things turn out."

At that, Maya's eyes brightened with an idea and she formed a suggestion. "Tatsuya, would you like to help me show Hero around the rest of Sumaru? I'm not sure, but it might be fun."

Tatsuya shot a look at her, as though he couldn't believe that she had asked him. But at the same time, he seemed slightly relieved. "That would be great."

\/\/\/

Ulala trudged out of Kismet, adjusting the bag on her shoulder. Earlier she had tried visiting Baofu in Narumi ward, but the little snake had skipped out once again. The redhead could not even begin to measure her wrath. All she knew was that she was getting sick of Baofu's games.

After being out on the streets for a while, Ulala's mind gradually wheeled in reverse, thinking back on the previous fight between her and her best friend. It was unlike Ulala to blow things out of proportion, and she knew it. Then again, she had never seen Maya go off like that either. _It must be the whole "getting back into things" ordeal. It'll cool down eventually…_

But this was four months later. Wasn't everything already supposed to have been "cooled off" by now? Ulala held her breath. She tried to convince herself of a variety of things: _It's just this whole thing with Tatsuya…This new job has just got everyone uptight…Her boss is picking on her again at work…It's right after that big fight with the Tatsuya of the "Other Side" and that Nyarlathotep guy…_

But deep down, Ulala knew that she had been out of line. Normally, she had never let others interfere with their friendship, especially guys like Baofu. However…things seemed to be different this time. Nevertheless, Ulala felt guilty about the entire fight and had decided to stop by Kismet to apologize and ask Maya to lunch. She was heavily let down when the secretary had informed the redhead that the reporter hadn't come in that day to work.

"Then again," the receptionist shrugged, "Mizuno _did_ put her on another big case."

"Oh _really?_" Ulala asked, a hint of condescension in her voice. Just the name "Mizuno" made her fists curl up. "What did Mizuno do to her _this_ time?"

"She's investigating Masakatsu Nakamura. I'm sure she'll be back in soon, Miss Serizawa."

Grumbling, Ulala stalked down the streets, rounded the corner, and continued on by Kuzunoha and Parabellum. _Actually, a drink sounds good right about now._

Before her mind could protest, Ulala was pushing herself through the door of the dark and musty bar. There, seated right at the counter, was none other than the long haired tap buster himself. Ulala felt her fists clench and her teeth grit, without remorse, against each other. _That son of a…_

"Well, _Kaoru,_" her eyes narrowed as she strolled up behind him. He turned his head, slightly. "Nice to see you here. Ever think of…" she slowly pulled her arm back and belted him across the back of his head, "…_giving me a call!_"

He tumbled to the floor, spilling his drink across the counter, and glared up at the woman above him. "Woman! What do you think you're doing!"

"Just returning the favor," she replied, assuming her natural boxing stance. "What's the matter, Baofu? Can't stand up to a _girl?_"

"You're crazy," he muttered, using the barstool to pull himself to his feet.

Ulala shoved him against the counter, knocking the shot glass to the floor altogether.

"_I'm_ crazy!" she cried, red eyes tearing into his. "_You're_ the one who refuses to call me! We're supposed to be _partners!_ If you continue to treat me like this and avoid me…"

"You're fired," he whispered.

Her voice trailed off and her angry fled. Black painted lips parting, Ulala's eyes widened and slowly blinked, as though not quite understanding what he had just said. "W-What?"

"I said that you were fired, Serizawa."

Her mouth was gaping, small, short breaths catching in between her throat. How could he…? He wasn't serious!

"F…Fired?"

"Yes," he nodded. There was no hint in amusement in his voice, which let Ulala know that he was austerely serious.

"You can't mean—"

"I _do_, Ulala." He stared down upon her trembling form and he cursed himself for having to see her like thatfor ever making her _look_ like that. "Your services are no longer required. You can come by later on to pick up your stuff."

"What! Why!" She watched as he brushed past her, all eyes (including the barkeeper) glued on the dramatic duo. "I've been your partner for _more_ than three months and you just _all_ of a sudden fire me! What's the reason!"

"There is no reason," he explained. "I just don't need an employee. Go back to working at your lingerie store." His gloved hand encircled the doorknob, and he waited a moment, just to see if there was an explosion.

He wasn't surprised when there was.

"You're an _ass,_ Baofu! You know your problem is, you arrogant, long haired jerk! You think you know more than everyone else and that you can handle everything on your own! You push people away and tell them that you don't need them and that they're not wanted! Who are you trying to fool, Baofu! Me or yourself! Well, let me tell you something, Mister…" Her tone rose instantly, as though she figured that he could not hear her well enough. "_I_ am not fooled by the likes of _you!_"

Baofu stood in the frame, door half extended. He knew that everything she said was true, though he did not turn to face her. But at this point, nothing made a difference and anything that he said would just be an excuse. _That IC case is no excuse, Saga. You know that._

"Whatever you say," he shrugged, and he was outside.

All eyes were on Ulala, whose fury had been snuffed out like a candle. _He didn't even put up a fight…_ Her eyes grew soft and worried. This was _not_ the Baofu _she_ knew. His snide remarks, his crude comments…where were they? _Now you're just lying to me, you jackass…_ She frowned and her brows furrowed together. All thoughts came as a swirling mass of incoherent vibrations. Nothing made sense.

Baofu was also not the kind of person to avoid a situation. He was blunt and straight to the point. It was one of the reasons that he and Katsuya fought so much.

"_What's the use in beating around the bush? Just get it over with…"_

"Kaoru…" the name almost came as a hiss, pushed out by the air between her teeth.

\/\/\/

Outside, Baofu lit a cigarette and began on the long trail home. He hadn't expected to run into Ulala in Parabellum, but the world _was _full of uncanny surprises. He couldn't even force himself to stay and finish the fight. It was over before he had known he was outside.

"Crazy woman," he muttered, the cigarette locked in between his lips. He rubbed the sore spot on the back of his head. "Nearly killed me." _Though, for some reason, I can't quite blame her for blowing up. If I had been in her shoes, I probably would've killed the jerk, too._ But this was for the best, right? Staying off the casestaying away from _him._

_The further she is away from me, the further she is away from harm._ He tensed at the thought. _That's a pitiful excuse, too, Saga._ He knew it, but there was no other way around it. The more he avoided and took less notice to her, eventually she would _have_ to forget about him…right?

_Wrong, and you know it. That broad isn't just stupid, she's persistent, too. And needy. What on earth __**possibly**__ makes you think that she'll just give up and walk away with her tail between her legs?_ Baofu wasn't certain himself, but he was bound to his promise and that promise was to keep her away.

The IC case was not something to be taken so lightly, and if the Chief had specifically asked him to take a break from the regular mansearching, then it _had_ to be important. Prosecuting was a thing of his old, dead past. But the Chief had begged and pleaded. Heck, if the old man had materialized in front of the tap buster at this very minute, Baofu wouldn't have been surprised if the Chief graveled at his feet, kissing the tops of his nicely polished shoes.

_Still…that doesn't solve my problem on getting those reports from the morgue…or the forensic results, either._ Without them, Baofu wouldn't be able to conduct a search, himself. And that information wouldn't be available freely. He cursed Suou and all of the Suou lineage. He needed that information _now,_ before the actual police got there first. When the Chief had called back earlier that day, he had been unsuccessful in getting any kind of leeway into the morgue (though he had promptly provided the name and number for the coroner at the morgue who was responsible for Mr. Victim 7XIXIC), but he _did_ mention that the results wouldn't be ready for another five days anyway, since there was already a lineup of bodies to be dealt with.

If only he could…

Baofu stopped at the crosswalk, hand in pocket and the other loosely holding his half burned out cigarette. His eyes looked ahead to the horizon, where an oncoming motorcyclist was speeding down the street. Yes…speeding. _Too bad Suou isn't here to catch him. He'd have a field day._ Baofu chuckled at the thought.

His eyes remained on the motorcyclist, taking note of the Seven Sisters uniform. It was a male, and a teen at that. Ah…the joys of youth—the invincible teenager! But it wasn't until the motorcyclist came into plain sight that Baofu could recognize him. Even as the boy slowed down at the light, the former prosecutor could not mistake those eyes. _Hey, it's little Suou…What's he doing in this part of Sumaru?_

As quickly as the light had changed to red, the abrupt transition that went back to green left Baofu in the dust, and Tatsuya Suou sped away on his vehicle, the engine humming raucously and echoing into the vicinity.

Baofu smiled as an insidious, yet cunning, idea entered his mind.

\/\/\/

"Let whoever it is in," Nate instructed, sitting in his maize colored chair in the penthouse. A man in a black suit did not protest, and turned to pull the door open.

Hero stood there, hands in his pockets, and he looked up at the older man who had opened the door.

"I'm looking for Mr. Nanjo," Hero said, formally.

"Come in," the man told him and stepped aside to let the younger man through.

Nate's eyes turned across the room, and was surprised when his lower jaw hadn't detached itself from the rest of his face. In replacement, however, the rest of his body numbed, and by the time he knew it, his fingers were clawing into the thick fabric of his chair.

Hero strolled over to him as though it were no big deal at all. A serious look was plastered on his face, naturally, and his hair hung in his eyes, deepening the look.

"You…!" Nate jumped up out of his chair, eyes nearly bulging from behind his glasses. It was almost as if a ghost had come to greet him. _This isn't the Christmas Carol Story! Get a hold of yourself!_

Standing only a few feet away from him, Hero nodded.

"I can't believe that you're here…" Nate held out a shaky hand, which the navy blue haired boy took firmly.

"I was surprised to hear that you were in town," Hero admitted, his voice almost monotone.

"It was Yuki's doing," Nate reluctantly sat down, but gestured for his friend to take a chair anyway. "She's planning a reunion. I suppose that means that we found everyone, then."

"Everyone's coming?"

"Well…everyone except for Mark, as far as I know."

Hero tilted his head, inquisitively. "Why?"

"'Why' what?"

"Why not Mark?"

Nate crossed his legs and leaned back. "It's a long story, really. It has to do with Mary and Mark and their breakup. Eh…have you heard?"

Indeed, Hero had. Alana had told him. But, not wanting to give his friend up, he shook his head.

"Ah," Nate nodded. "I'll tell you some other time, then."

"All right."

Then, for a moment, the rich boy looked disappointed. "I've been trying to locate you for four years. So has everyone else."

His friend nodded. "I see."

"Why have you been avoiding everyone?"

Hero glanced at him from out of the corner of his eye. "It wasn't intentional."

The heir to the Nanjo fortune wanted to sigh. Just like before… _A man of few words. Hasn't he taken a public speaking class or something to help improve that?_ "Well…whether it was intentional or not, it hurt quite a few people." At the other man's puzzled stare, Nate continued, "Like Ellen."

"Ellen…How is she?"

"Well…she's a model now, just like she said she would be."

"That's right," Hero remembered. "Just like our promise."

"Yes," the rich boy nodded. "She's very much wanted to see you so that she could tell you." Then, something began to bother Nate. He leaned forward, clasping his hands together, and asked, "So…what brought you here?"

"I wanted to say 'hello.'"

"Not like that. _Here. _Why to Sumaru?"

Hero leaned back in his chair, propping his arms behind his head. "That's where I heard that everyone was."

"Who'd you hear that from?"

"I heard it around."

Nate squinted his eyes and then sat back, his hands unfolding and laying across the armrests. "I see." _He's hiding something._

"You think I'm hiding something."

The eyes of the rich boy bulged, and his face flushed. _Had I said that aloud? Or can he just read minds?_

"H-How did…" Just the very thought that his friend knew that he had been suspicious of him brought him to the verge of embarrassment. And Nate was not often embarrassed.

"I can see it in your eyes."

The raven haired boy turned away. "O-Oh. Well…that's not what I meant by it." _Fool! You gave yourself up! You should've denied it!_

"Don't worry about it," Hero brushed it off. "I don't blame you." When Nate regained his composure and was able to look his friend in the eye again, Hero continued, "After all, I've been gone all this time and no one knows where. I suppose that _I_ should be the one apologizing."

"That's not it," Nate assured. "We just were worried." Deep down, Nate cursed himself. There were so many things he wanted to ask this man. So many things! And here he kept wasting his opportunity with silence.

"I'm sorry that I worried you." Again, there was more silence between the two for quite some time until Hero asked, "So, when's this reunion?"

"Ah, not far from now."

Then Hero became serious. "Nate, I have a request." At the rich boy's troubled face, the navy blue haired boy said, "Don't tell anyone I'm here."

\/\/\/

Over the course of the next five days, Maya spent time vacillating between doing her report for work, and showing Hero around. When she couldn't be there for him, she had Tatsuya show him around.

"Here's my number," Maya scribbled a number down on a piece of her notebook paper and handed it to Hero. "Guess it's sort of silly I gave you my apartment address and not my phone number. Call me if you have a problem, or if you just want to talk."

"Thanks," he said, taking the small paper from her and tucking it into his pocket.

\/\/\/

"Is this Araya Shrine?" Hero's eyes widened.

"Yeah," Tatsuya crossed his arms. "Sometimes, when I just want to get away from my brother for a while, I'll come down here. It's pretty relaxing."

"I don't doubt it…" Hero knelt down before a small sapling on the edge of the stone path. "There's one in Lunarvale just like it."

"Lunarvale…Is that your hometown?"

Hero stood up and nodded, "Yup. I went to St. Hermelin there." Then a thought occurred to him, "Your brother's in Lunarvale, isn't he?"

"Maya tell you that?"

"Yeah. Sorry about being nosy."

Tatsuya blew a strand of loose hair from his face. "Don't worry about it. And, yeah, he's there. Checking out some ruins or something."

Hero stood still for a moment. He remembered those ruins well. It definitely wasn't a place for any old detective to be hanging around. He hoped Tatsuya's brother would be all right.

"So, now where do you want to go?" Tatsuya broke the older man from his thoughts. "We still have the plaza, and I think that's about it for Rengedai Ward."

"Is there food at the plaza?" Hero asked with a grin.

"Duh. Only the best sushi place in all of Sumaru."

Hero quickly walked past him. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get going."

\/\/\/

"What happened to that report you're supposed to be doing for work?" Hero asked Maya, while they took a stroll along Ebisu Beach.

"I'm working on it, I'm working on it."

"Oh?"

"Yes. What do you think I do when I'm not with you?"

"Contemplate on how to get me another cell phone?"

He laughed when she lightly punched him in the arm.

"If I need help, I'll let you know, Teacher."

\/\/\/

"Don't you work?" Maya asked Hero. "You seem to have plenty of free time."

"What's wrong with free time?" He turned to look at Tatsuya, who had joined the party in their little trip to Smile Mall.

Maya began to rummage through a stack of clothes in her favorite store.

"Don't look at me," Tatsuya held his hands up. "I get yelled at if I have any free time."

"By who?"

"By his brother," Maya laughed and held up a black blouse in front of her. "Like?"

"…Dislike," Hero chuckled and Maya pouted. "I'm just kidding, Maya. It looks great on you."

"Way to make that one up," Tatsuya whispered as Maya went back to searching for clothes. "How did we get talked into coming here, again?"

"Remember? You guys were supposed to show me around Hirasaka Ward today and it gave Maya a perfect excuse to come shopping. Why didn't you warn me that there was a mall in Hirasaka? You could've spared us a lot of trauma."

"I _heard_ that!" Maya spat.

The boys tried their best to hide their grin.

\/\/\/

"So you're staying in Narumi Ward?" Maya propped her chin in the palm of her hand, sipping on her strawberry shake. "That's a pretty rich district. You a millionaire or something?"

Hero laughed and stirred his own shake with the straw. "_I'm_ not the millionaire. But my parents are."

Tatsuya scooted over to the edge of his bench, holding a chocolate shake. "Your parents?"

"Yes, I do have parents." Hero took a moment to stare at the flowers next to him. He had wanted to come to the park since the day he got here, and he was especially thrilled when Maya and Tatsuya brought him to Aoba Park. "I'll be staying there for a while."

"So, what are you living in now? A Penthouse?" Maya asked.

"No, my parents actually own a house here."

"_In_ Narumi Ward?" A large smile broke at Maya's face. "The only person I know who actually _stayed_ in Narumi was Nate."She thought about it a bit more. _Baofu doesn't count. That little sewer of his isn't a house._

"And Nate still _is_ there," Hero said. "But he's on vacation. They actually have property here."

"Do your parents live here, then?" Tatsuya turned his attention to his shake.

"Not at the moment. But they trust me to manage the house here until they take a trip to Sumaru."

"That's it," Maya jumped up. "We're going to _your_ house sometime. _This_ I've gotta see."

Tatsuya shook his head in embarrassment, and Hero laughed. "I don't understand what the big deal about me living in Narumi is. It's _just_ a _house._"

\/\/\/

"Want me to help you carry those books?" Hero held the door open as Maya staggered in, slowly, carrying a mound of books. Hero tilted his head to see if he could see her face behind them.

"Open that door," she instructed, arms shaking.

Wordlessly, he took five books off of her load, and used his foot to push the door open. "How many did you check out?" he asked her.

"Fourteen," she panted, the lessening of the strain coming to her as warm relief. "Then the library kicked me out."

"What are you writing about, anyway? Global domination?"

She gave him a look and stopped in front of her apartment door. Jiggling her keys, she stuck one into the keyhole, turned it, and pushed herself inside.

"I'm writing about Masakatsu Nakamura," she answered.

"The mystery novelist?"

"His whole _life_ is a _mystery._" Maya tossed all of the books onto her bed. Hero turned around in circles, his mouth agape. "What?"

"I realize _why_ I've never been _actually_ allowed into your apartment before." He blinked, "It's _messy._"

Maya whirled around to look him in the eye, but he was already stooping down to pick up clothes and papers.

"Hey! Hey!" she darted over to him. "Just _what_ do you think you're _doing?_ This is _my_ stuff. You can't just come in and start messing with things."

"I can't mess anything up more than what it is," he told her. "Maya, haven't you ever given thought as to what it would be like to have a _clean_ apartment?" She gawked, and he stood up, clothes in his arms. "Give me a basket. We're gonna dump everything in there."

"Why does a messy room bother you?" she sighed. "Hero…what are you doing?" She watched him yank her bed covers from off of her bed and throw them into the clothing pile that he was accumulating. _This is crazy. What is he __**doing?**_

"Maya, I have to say something. If there's one thing I find intolerable, it's a messy apartment. Now, give me a basket."

_I can't believe he wants to clean my room at a time like this._ "Hero, I have work to do—"

"That's fine. You work and I'll clean."

"Huh? No way, you don't know where anything goes."

"Then you'd better put on your cleaning spirits, Maya. I'm not leaving until this place is clean."

"Hero, why don't you go clean your _own_ house and leave mine alone? I don't have time to cl—"

She was stopped when a broom she had kept in the corner of her room was immediately swung at her. Maya shrieked, ducked, and looked back up, fearfully. Hero was holding the broom, outstretched, in her direction, a sudden look of sternness on his face. "My lady, I'm afraid I cannot allow a woman of your standing to be eaten alive by the dreaded dust monster. As long as I, your valiant knight, am amongst you, you shan't have anything to fear! Now, stand aside!" And he began to swing the broom about like a sword, attacking the clothes piles and the bed sheets. "Have at thee!"

Maya watched him for a moment and began to burst out laughing. He stopped and turned to look at her. "So, are we cleaning your room or not?"

She rolled her eyes. "If it pleases my valiant knight, then I haven't a choice." Maya turned and went to get a basket.

\/\/\/

Hero was programing his new cell phone and texting out his number. Maya watched him, curiously.

"You already have a new phone?"

"It's been five days," he said, finishing his message to Alana. She sent a reply in thanks. "Want my number?"

"That's a _terrible_ pick up line." But she was fishing out her phone anyway. "Sorry again about your phone," she mumbled. "I would've bought you a new one..."

He laughed. "Don't worry about it. I don't think you could afford this one anyway."

Hero held up a phone that had more buttons than a calculator. The screen was nearly half the size of it, and it shined when he held it in the light.

She frowned.

"What the hell is that?"

His smile disappeared and he stared at the phone. "Well...my _agent_ said it was a good phone..."

\/\/\/

Tatsuya was sprawled out across the surface of the couch when the phone rang, disrupting the solitary rhythm of the clock on the wall. He groaned and looked over the backside of the couch, glaring at the jiggling phone on the wall. Swinging his feet to the floor, Tatsuya trudged across the room and grabbed the phone.

"Hello?" he asked, almost bitterly.

"_Woah, easy, tiger. It's only me."_

Well, it wasn't his brother, the Captain, _or_ the Chief. And the voice was male.

"Who's 'me,' then?"

"_It's Baofu."_

"Baofu?"

"_Yeah, Baofu. You know, come on! At the police station, I was fighting with your brother."_

Actually, now that Tatsuya thought about it, this "Baofu" character and his older brother were always fighting. Sometimes, he would just call and he and Katsuya would just go at it. Sometimes Tatsuya found it amusing and other times, just annoying.

This was one of those times.

\/\/\/

Tatsuya had met Baofu more than once, but, just as the older man had claimed, the police station was the first time. Tatsuya had been there in the first place to drop off some papers that his brother had forgotten at home. Katsuya had called and woken the teenager up, _pleading_ for him to ride down to the police station with them. Aggravated, Tatsuya had agreed. Just as he was leaving, a man in a unique maize colored suit was walking in.

"Hey, Suou." Tatsuya turned to stare up at the man with the dark shades. He was peering over them to look at the teen now.

"Tatsuya," he replied, slightly offended. "Everyone else always calls my brother 'Suou.'"

"Oooh, touchy. Well then, _Tatsuya,_" The man leaned back against the wall and set a heavy looking case down beside him. "Would you do me a favor and call your brother out here? I have some _things_ to ask him."

Tatsuya rolled his eyes but turned around to the counter anyway. Why did everyone always make _him_ do the dirty work? Leaning over the surface, Tatsuya looked at one of the officers and asked, "Could you call Katsuya Suou out here, please?"

The officer looked at him, slightly confused, and gave him a look that read, _"Didn't you just come from his office?"_

"It's not for me," the teen furrowed his brows, seeing the officer's sharp gaze. "Could you please just do that?"

Reluctantly turning his body away, the officer pressed a button on his communicator, cuffing it with his other hand. "Yeah, send Suou down here. Seems his brother forgot something."

Tatsuya growled and restrained himself from giving the cop the "no-no" finger behind his back. When the officer reeled back around to face the youth, his eyes were only half open, as though Tatsuya's presence had bored him. Scowling, the teen pushed himself away from the desk and walked towards the front door, helmet under his arm.

It wasn't long before he got there that he heard the man call out, "Suou," and Tatsuya was about to whirl back around and spit a nasty comment about his name being "Tatsuya" until he realized that Katsuya was the one the man was talking to.

His older brother stepped out from behind the door that led to the back, looking none too pleased about having been disturbed at work. Katsuya's eyes were searching for Tatsuya's, but caught Baofu's instead.

"Baofu," the newly promoted detective said the name as though it contained acid. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Nothing really," the long haired man admitted, "I asked your brother to send for you and he did. Now then, onto business."

"That's what I was referring to in the first place!"

"Then you should've been more specific." Baofu leaned down to pick up his briefcase. "Suou, I'm working on something here and I need some information—information that remains unattainable to me."

Katsuya's eyes narrowed, but they were easy to delineate, even behind his maroon colored glasses. "You're talking about police reports, aren't you?"

"I'd be lying if I said 'no.'" Retrieving something from inside the case, Baofu handed Katsuya a manila envelope, to which he patted before letting it go. "Everything's in there."

The Detective slowly withdrew the contents from inside and studied them carefully. "Tomoatsu Yoneta?" He blinked. "This isn't even my _case!_ I can't just take information from any investigation that I want! Besides…" Katsuya shoved the papers back at Baofu. "All the reports about him are at the morgue. If you're really that interested, why don't you try negotiating with the coroner?"

"Coroner?" It was Baofu's turn to be baffled. "He's dead?"

"Yes," the officer spat back. "Died yesterday morning in the hospital. Now then, would you _please_ stop wasting my time and leave me to my work?"

Tatsuya watched as the fight escalated after that point for a few minutes longer. Baofu called Katsuya a "wuss" and Katsuya finally threatened to arrest Baofu. Tatsuya had to admit, his brother could be very funny, even when he didn't know that he was. He had never seen another person such as "Baofu" make him flare up like that. Well…not _any_ normal citizen, that is. Katsuya was always such a tyrant when it came to his cases and their suspects.

"Who was that?" Tatsuya had asked his brother after Baofu stormed out of the Konan Police Department.

"No one you need to know about," Katsuya replied, staring after the closing doors. "Stay away from him. He's nothing but a bad influence."

\/\/\/

"Baofu," Tatsuya said after quite some time. "What can I do for you?"

\/\/\/

So, how is it? R&R please, C&C are always welcomed, too. But please, no flames.


	4. Let’s Play ‘Dress Up’

**Disclaimer:** Persona isn't mine. Or the book that Hero reads later. Stuff like that.

**A/N:** Thank you to my reviewers! I really would like to know more about what you think, so please feel free to comment. Even constructive criticism (minus the flames, har, har, har). I can't become better unless I know what people think.

**\/\/\/**

**Dance to the Waltz**

**Chapter Four**

**Let's Play 'Dress-Up'**

**\/\/\/**

There was a light chuckle on the other end. _"I'm not going to beat around the bush like your brother does."_ Baofu paused for a moment to make sure that he had Tatsuya's full attention. _"I need your help."_

"Why mine?" the teen asked, confused. What on earth could he _possibly _do to be of any help to this man?

_"Well…"_ the tap buster drew the word out, long and slow. _"You know what my profession is, don't you? Your wuss of a brother has at __**least**__ told you that much, right?"_

Tatsuya frowned. Despite his distant relationship with Katsuya, the teen did not admire the name calling too much. "You're a Mansearcher," he answered, as though it had been very obvious all along. "It took me a while, but brother told me."

_"Heh, he must not like me very much."_

"No, I guess not," Tatsuya rolled his eyes. "Is there something I can help you with, Baofu?" he repeated for a second time.

_"Well, I sure hope so."_ Again, he was chuckling. _"You see, I'm involved in a case here and something bad happened to one of my clients. So, to ensure that I catch the real criminal here, I have to know what the scenario is with my client, first."_

"Go on."

_"The police got there before I did and so your brother's 'friends' got all of the evidence, making it harder to write the reports myself. You know that after the police get that stuff, there's no way that it's open to the public, right?"_

Tatsuya wasn't sure that he liked where this was going. "I'd like to help you out, but my brother's out of town. Even if I _did_ ask him to do it, A) I don't think he'd do anything for you, and B), Baofu, this is the martinet we're talking about here. I think your chances remain at a lost cause."

_"I'm already aware that your brother is out of town. That's why I'm asking __**you**__ to help me."_

Tatsuya inattentively chewed on the inside of his mouth. "…What are you getting at?"

_"Well, hasn't anyone ever told you how much you and your brother look alike?"_

If Baofu had been in the room at that very moment, he would have never left alive. Tatsuya shot deadly glares at the phone, hoping that they would rematerialize before Baofu on the other end. When the tap buster said nothing about them, Tatsuya broke the silence. "You know, that's not really a compliment."

_"Doesn't matter if it is or not. All I'm saying is that that information is at the morgue and there's no way I can get my hands on it without a cop. Since your brother is out of town, and would probably be useless to the situation anyway, I'm asking you."_

It became crystal clear to Tatsuya after that. "Let me get this straight. You want _me_ to dress up like my brother, go down to the morgue, and get information on some dead client of yours?"

_"You make it sound worse than what it actually is."_

"There's no _way_ they'll let me in. That's a stupid idea."

_"Don't you sneak around for a living?"_

Tatsuya choked for a moment, finding the idea of his own habits being dragged into this ludicrous. "That's different! I don't go straight into the hands of the enemy if I want to do something-especially in something where my brother is involved!" Tatsuya shook his head. Only an idiot would be stupid enough to pull such a prank. And Tatsuya wasn't an idiot. "Listen, Baofu. I wish I could help you, but that's something only a bonehead would do. I already have a tough time dealing with Katsuya; do you have any idea how much worse it would be if he found out that I dressed up as him and snuck into the morgue?"

_"You prove a good point there, kid. But like you said, that's only __**if**__ he found out."_

Tatsuya frowned. He just _didn't_ get it.

"Do you want me to spell it out for you? _No_. I'm _not_ going to do this. I'm sorry." He turned his body and prepared to hang up the phone.

_"What would change your mind?"_

Sighing, Tatsuya reluctantly brought the phone back to his ear. "Nothing you have could possibly interest me."

_"Well, don't jump to conclusions yet. I may not be able to offer you something exotic like a big house or a giant yacht, but I __**am**__ willing to split my earnings with you."_

Now it was a bribe. This was no longer a matter of asking and receiving; it was almost a direct matter of buying-off. Tatsuya glanced around his living room, thinking about his decision, carefully. The teen already had such a poor reputation around Sumaru that if he _did_ get caught, the consequences would be severe. This wasn't like ditching school or hanging out at clubs. He would have to walk straight into the lair of his devilish brother and all of his other hellions.

_"I can make this worth your while."_

"Just a second," Tatsuya told him. "You seem to make this all pretty easy. I don't have my brother's badge, identification, or his best suit. Just how do you expect to get around that?" _Take that, you goon. How do you plan to get fix it?_

_ "Heh, is that __**all**__ you're worried about?"_ The teen stared at the phone, blankly. _Just what does he mean by that! "I can take care of all of that without any problem."_

Then Tatsuya stiffened and spoke in a whisper, "I'd be careful what you say over the line, Baofu. Records aren't the _only_ thing the police can trace."

That prompted the tap buster to laugh and he continued to speak in the same natural voice that he had been using the entire conversation, _"They can't trace me from this line, kid. Trust me on that one. And as long as we don't give the police any reason to suspect us, there won't be a problem."_ Tatsuya heard him inhale, and he figured that he was smoking. _"Relax. I've been in this business for a looong time."_

"There are still some things that—"

_"Let me worry about that. I'll give you all the information you need when you get here tomorrow morning."_ The teen heard a chair creak on the other line and figured that Baofu was moving about. _"So, are you in or not?"_

Tatsuya noted how confident his employer sounded and it almost made his anxiousness rise, too. Slowly, he asked, "What's in it for me?"

\/\/\/

The key rattled in the hole and the door was kicked open. Angry eyes of Ulala Serizawa peered in to see a working Maya, who was so busy typing away at her computer that she had not even turned her head to see the blazing woman. _Why does her attitude not surprise me?_

Exhaling loudly enough to gain attention, Ulala marched into the apartment, throwing her bag to the floor. Again, Maya did not turn around. Ulala rolled her eyes and looked to the ground. Then it hit her.

There were no books on the floor, no piles of clothes scattered about, and no messy bed with the covers half off of the mattress. Ulala almost wanted to blurt out, "Ma-ya! I didn't know you had a floor," but found that she couldn't. Maybe it was because she was staring at the dustless shelves above her, where Maya kept her knickknacks and pictures. Maya's shoes that were so often found behind the door, under the bed, or sitting in a flower pot somewhere were all lined up by pairs behind Maya's recently made bed.

Ulala couldn't believe it. This was _not_ something she expected from Maya, whose habits were _far_ from perfect. _I __**have**__ to know how this could happen! But unless I can get Maya to talk to me, I won't be finding out anything._

"Well?" the fiery redhead held out her arms, as though demanding the welcome mat. "Aren't you going to greet me?"

"I thought you were still mad," Maya confessed, her eyes still glued to the screen of her small computer. "So I thought better of it."

Ulala did not like that answer much and she turned her gaze away. _And here I was going to apologize…Geez, the __**least**__ she could've done was start up a conversation. She's getting weirder and weirder everyday._

She rolled her eyes and fell backwards on Maya's bed, flinging her shoes from off of her feet. They crashed to the floor and continued to tumble away somewhere, ruining the perfect ensemble that Maya had obviously worked so hard to create. Ulala continued to watch Maya, who hadn't even turned around to meet her gaze yet. _She didn't even glance over when I tossed my shoes across her room. What is it that's got her mind so wrapped up that she can't even turn to look at me?_

"What are you doing, Ma-ya?" _There. It's her nickname. Maybe she'll realize that I'm not mad anymore._ For the moment, even the thought of Baofu had been lost somewhere in the back of her mind.

"Working on an interview project," the ebony haired woman confessed.

"Oh? On what?"

"The horror novelist, Masakatsu Nakamura."

Ulala leaned forward, her fingers playing with Maya's bedspread. "Really? I've heard a lot about him. So, have you figured anything out, yet?"

Maya stopped typing. It was almost a miracle. She turned in her swivel chair, finally acknowledging Ulala's presence. The redhead was somewhat taken aback.

"No," Maya sighed, tilting her head. "All I've got are those books by him." She pointed to a neatly stacked of books. "And they're about as useful as a cold."

Ulala smiled at that and, surprisingly, found the courage to bring up the horrors from five nights ago. Her smile faded, preparing her for the long awaited apology she had been meaning to give all day. _For once, let's leave Bao out of it…_ "Ma-ya…I want to just say that…about that night…well…"

She watched as Maya held a finger up to her lips and Ulala blinked.

"You don't need to say anything," the reporter said and arose from the chair. "I know that it's hard for you to choose between two things that you care about, and I'm sorry that I wasn't as understanding as I should've been. I just don't like seeing you unhappy." As she finished, she was walking over to her bed, arms outstretched, and embraced Ulala in a friendly hug. "You are my best friend," she whispered, "and I don't want anything to come between that."

Surprised, Ulala slowly returned the hug, unsure of herself. _I didn't expect her to get over that so quickly. But, then again, it __**is**__ Ma-ya we're talking about here._ The redhead smiled. _I'm so lucky to have her as a friend, even after all I've put her through…_

"I'm sorry, too. I know you worry about me and about the fights with Bao. I guess I just wanted to handle everything myself."

Patting her back once, Maya pulled back, smiling. "We'll get through this," she said, assuring the older girl. "We always do."

Ulala was amazed. _And that was it. No lecture, no scolding, just, 'we'll get through it.' How can you __**be**__ that way? It's so tempting to believe in and yet…it's so disgusting. But I really do love you, Ma-ya._ Saying nothing more, Maya jumped off the bed and spun in a half circle with arms outstretched. "Oh! I almost forgot to tell you. I met someone."

Raising a quizzical eyebrow, the boxer asked, "Who?"

The younger girl giggled, "A guy."

Ulala frowned inwardly. Though it was about high time Maya found someone and finally got off of Tatsuya, there was a secret wanting for her to get together with one of their other close friends. "I'm assuming this guy has a name."

"Hero Stonefield," Maya revealed, turning away from her friend to push in her swivel chair and turn off her computer. "He moved here about a week ago."

"About a week ago? And you're just _now_ telling me?"

"Hey, you weren't talking to me. Anyway, it's kind of a long story, but to make it all short, I got the job of being his tour guide around the city."

"How much is it paying?" Ulala joked, words betraying her thoughts.

Maya laughed and leaned back against her desk. "Seven-fifty an hour. But that's not including the powder room experience."

"_Ma-ya!_" the older woman flushed and hurled the pillow that had been laying at the head of the bed at her. "That's brutal!"

Maya laughed harder, bracing herself against the attack. The two acted as though nothing had happened the five nights before.

"You're not really, are you?" Ulala asked, her voice becoming slightly serious. "Dating, I mean. You're just showing him around the city, right?"

Maya's eyes lightened, not quite grasping what her friend was hinting at. "Ulala, you don't _really_ think I'd date someone I just met, right? I bumped into him and knocked his cell phone into a sewer drain. Showing him around was his idea—more like compensation for the lost phone rather than anything else."

The redhead let out a sigh of relief. _Thank heavens for that, then._ But then something occurred to her. "Was he the one who got you to clean your room?"

"Why?" Maya eyed her, mischievously. "Are you jealous?"

Ulala stuck her tongue out at her. "You wish. Let me guess, he's a younger man?"

"Well…" The reporter cocked her head to one side, "Twenty-one."

"I _knew_ it!" Another pillow was hurled in Maya's direction, and she covered her face, laughing. "You and your obsession with younger men, Ma-ya. What _is_ with that!"

"I never said I _liked_ him that way!" the ebony haired woman argued back. "You jump to conclusions, Ulala."

"And you never answered my question! I come in here and I feel like I'm in another apartment! Why's the place clean, anyway?"

"Why? You like a pigsty?"

"Ma-ya…" Ulala began.

"All right, all right. Yeah, he came by earlier today and we spent the day cleaning the house. He forced me to, anyway. In return for me letting him clean, he helped me with my report."

"Ha! Letting him clean. …Wait. _Helped_ you? I'm surprised. Normally, you don't like being told what to do when it comes to your work."

"Well…" Maya lightly kicked a foot against the floor. "He knows what he's doing, actually. He's really good at it. I thought I'd just let him run his mouth for the sake of it, but he actually taught me some stuff about content."

Ulala shook her head with a smile. _He got her to __**clean**__ her room __**and**__ helped her with this project? My hat's off to him. I could __**never**__ get her to do __**that.**_

Maya laughed, and then Ulala laughed, too.

It felt good to laugh, the older woman noted. And it was even better because the two were sharing the good time together. However, Ulala wasn't going to lie to herself. She had done that too much already. "We'll get through this" just wasn't going to cut it. Maya said it all too often and things were never better. As far as the boxer was concerned, they were just putting a band-aid over an unsealed wound. She hated the times that they would fight, and it never used to be a problem until recently.

Fighting with Maya was like fighting with herself. It was terrible and left her feeling even worse inside. So when Maya always said "we'll get through this," she couldn't help but think ahead to speculate when their next fight would be.

There never _was_ an _if._

\/\/\/

When the old man had died, Hero hadn't been sure _what_ the rich boy would do. He just hovered over Alfred's broken and battered form, shaking and sobbing violently, hugging his own body as though pretending that it had been the dear old butler there doing it instead.

The boy with the blue eyes and dark navy colored hair had sat back and watched his good friend pry the glasses from his face, using his other hand to cover his tearstained eyes, crying alone without anyone beside him.

At least…that's what he thought the rich boy assumed.

It didn't matter if there were a thousand friends in the room that day. There was only one person Nate Nanjo wanted to be with more.

And that person was his father figure butler, Alfred.

Hero's eyes moved away, guiltily. That's when it had all started. No one, until after it was too late, knew that Alfred had followed them to the hospital that day. No one…except Hero.

He hadn't known what had compelled him to do it, but he had left his trio of friends to their arguing, the topic being Mark's knowledge of Mary's hospital room. He was in a flurry, Yuki was slightly poking fun at him, and Nate was pressing more of Mark's buttons than their female companion was. Several people shushed them when they had begun to get loud, to which responded with more arguing.

Hero backtracked to the door, staring out the glass panels of the sliding doors, absorbing the weather. _Sunny skies without a chance of rain. Several small clouds, and a high of seventy-three with a low of sixty. Warm weather today…_ He was making it up off the top of his head, and he had chuckled at the thought. _Weatherman Stonefield. Catchy._

Then, his eyes moved to the corner where brightly lit vending machines hummed in the corner. A middle sized man was huddled behind them, restraining himself from coughing because of all the dust and cobwebs. His black suit and head full of white hair was enough to give the old butler away, and Hero quickly glanced back to Nate to see if the rich boy had noticed.

He hadn't.

"Alfred?" Hero whispered, slowly stepping towards the corner. "Is that…you?"

He had startled Alfred, and the man jumped slightly, head whirling in the young teen's direction, tired eyes peering over his spectacles. The old butler was out of breath, as though he had raced to get here before the others.

"Oh," he began, calming himself, though he was still in a bit of a frenzy and most worried, "you found me!" Jerking himself forward to speak lower to Hero, he had pleaded, "Please do not tell Sir Nate that you found me."

After the drastic performance given in front of the school, Hero did not want to see the poor butler degraded even further and so had agreed to Alfred's wish. _Nate must mean a lot to him for the old man to disobey his master's orders and come here. Nate would have a coronary if he knew._

"I promise," Hero nodded and Alfred relaxed even more.

"Oh, thank you. I just wanted to make sure that Sir Nate was all right. When he said that he was going to the hospital, it concerned me terribly…"

"Don't worry about it," the teen had assured. "Nothing's the matter, but you can wait here, if you'd like."

"Thank you," Alfred said again. "Please take care of Sir Nate."

At another nod from Hero, the boy walked back to rejoin his friends, who had just _now_ realized his absence.

"What were you doing over there?" Yuki asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Nothing," he shrugged.

And it had been no big deal.

But when he saw Alfred on the floor, dying, he realized what he had done. _If I had told Nate that Alfred had been there…if we had never confessed to Alfred that we were going to the hospital…_ But it was too late. The old butler was dead. He was dead and Hero finally realized that the bond between Nate and Alfred had been much stronger than what he had thought. Nate loved Alfred like his own father and Alfred had loved Nate like his own son. _And I…killed that. I killed Alfred. If I had only told Nate…_

What would the rich boy think then? Would he agree with him? Would that be the end of their long-term friendship? _Could I ever tell him?_

Hero knew that things would get rough after that. It all started after the four friends had decided to break at the lower level of the abnormally colored hospital. Yuki, Mark, and he had all taken turns standing guard while the others slept.

It _had_ been a long day and no one asked Nate to do anything. He was already an emotional wreck as it was.

Hero hadn't meant to fall asleep, but he found that he couldn't keep his eyelids apart from each other any longer. Hours upon hours were spent just trying to find the exit, all the while of being entertained by bloodcurdling screams and ominous growls in the background. In the foreground, there had been Nate, who was still trying to pick up the broken pieces of himself.

What he saw when he entered that tunnel of swirling colors was someone he thought he could trust. His spiraling staircase led to a golden edifice that resembled a tall gazebo, but much too high to be one. As though emphasizing his points on "masks," he chose to wear one himself.

Except…it hadn't been Hero who had come to visit him. In fact, as far as the boy could recall, he wasn't in the dream at all. He acted like the spectator, watching the drama from an omniscient perspective.

Someone had just died, but Hero couldn't recognize the crumpled figure, lying alone and forgotten in the center of the floor, where the emblem of a golden butterfly glittered across the tiles, but had been recently redone with a polished new red. Silence filled the strange abyss and nothing more. It was like a freeze-frame, and the dream stayed that way the entire time until the boy had been forced to awaken from his depressing slumber.

Mark had been the one who had disturbed him. It was now his turn to keep watch.

And it was like that every night. Hero would be drawn to the same place over and over, as though picking up where he had left off. However, there was no movement, so Hero could never tell if he was proceeding forward or winding backwards in time.

It came to the point where he had hated to fall asleep. He never _was_ sure what lay ahead for him night after night, and he was growing particularly weary of seeing a dead person lying on the great floors of time and space. And there was always so much to do, yet everything had been scattered about like particles excited by light's touch. Hero had never bothered to tell anyone about his dreams.

Guido was enough to make any child afraid of the dark and his rule over Sebec eventually migrated to a higher position of Mayor of his new, twisted version of Lunarvale. When Deva Yuga had emerged, Hero had thought that that was the pinnacle of their problems.

But then there was the dream of the burning shrine that he had been positive was their own. When he and the others had found it, Hero had been uneasy to be inside at all. However, Philemon assured them that their search was not elsewhere; the pieces of the Holy Mirror _had_ to be restored, but…

Well…the rest was history, anyway. The dreams hit an icy turn after the Snow Queen was revealed and quickly unraveled to be their beloved teacher, Saeko Smith. For a while after that, the dreams had ceased, and the nightmare was over. A great time before that, he had contemplated asking his friends if their dreams had been, in any way, similar to his. However, after their disappearance, he found no reason to.

At least…until after high school, that was.

Things were still left undone, the dreams told him, and not all was peaceful. _How absurd,_ he had said to himself. But the worse and worse they became, the more eager he had been to leave.

So he packed his things and moved to Paris, France without warning. And what importance was it to his friends where he was?

But demons were so persistent.

\/\/\/

Hero awoke that night in a cold sweat, breathing, what seemed to be, ice in his bedroom, though it felt as though it were an immeasurable degree of temperature all around him. He couldn't understand where the sudden dream had come from. _Unless it's just being in this place…Then again, nothing's really changed-it's only gotten worse._ His eyes turned to the large, glass window reflecting moonlight onto his gray colored bedspread.

Sighing, he fell forward onto his knees, clenching the blanket in one hand.

"I thought…that it would be over with now. I did what he told me to do…" he panted, running his other hand over the top of his head.

It seemed as though he had just come from the bathtub.

Even now, talk was meaningless. He knew what the details entailed and not even his closest friend, Alana, knew his troubles. Still, he had been lured to Sumaru for a reason, and it wasn't for its quaint environment. He turned over, looking at the flashing light on his answering machine, huddled next to the phone. Pressing the button, he pressed an ear to the speaker.

The message was from Alana.

\/\/\/

"Hello, my name is Detective Suou and I'm here to collect the reports on Mr. Kazuya Ogasawara."

Tatsuya Suou wanted to shoot himself. How had he e_ver_ allowed himself to be talked into _this!_ It was out of his league, he knew, but Baofu had offered him a complete sum of five-hundred and, right now, he needed the money more than ever. _I should've asked for more,_ he thought, sourly. _If Katsuya finds out, it's the end of the world for __**me.**_

Baofu had shown up on his doorstep six o' clock that morning, which was a _complete_ migraine for the teen. His sleeping habits did _not_ induce seven o' clock as a standard alarm time, anyway. If he had his way, the sun wouldn't see the sight of him until late every afternoon.

Just as the tap buster had promised, he had provided a fake ID, clothes, and badge. Tatsuya was amazed. He had asked how the older man had gotten his grubby little hands on the merchandise but Baofu had just responded, "Mum's the word."

He spent the first hour trying to disguise the boy, dressing him in a fashionably nice dark suit, similar to what his brother would wear, even down to the trendy designer glasses (Baofu couldn't find strictly red, rectangular ones, he had let Tatsuya borrow one of his circular black ones that matched his suit) on top of it all. After that, Baofu studied a picture of the teen's older brother, though he seemed rather tart about it, and worked at his best to get his hair right, slicking his bangs to one side.

"Your sideburns are a little off," the long haired man muttered. "But I think you'll do fine. The ID picture is a little fuzzy anyway."

"Did you do that on purpose?" Tatsuya had asked, his voice almost monotone, as he allowed himself to be "dressed up" by this freak of a man.

"Well…yes and no. But it doesn't matter, either way."

Tatsuya was not convinced. "So where are you going to be this whole time?"

"I'll have a van parked out front. Don't worry about me; I have it all figured out."

It turned out that Baofu had been working on a device that Tatsuya had only heard about on TV shows and movies. It was a small microphone that would be hidden in Tatsuya's ear. Baofu said that the range on it was astounding and that the teen could venture anywhere in the morgue without fear of it breaking up when Baofu talked to him through it. Using technical equipment from inside of the van, Baofu could hear everything that was going on outside the situation and speak to Tatsuya without a third party overhearing.

"Super," Tatsuya had responded, unenthusiastically.

For once, the iron mask of Tatsuya was shaking, his grounds breaking, as the receptionist typed away at her computer, looking at a list of log-ins. _Tack, tack, tack_ the computer went, her eyes scanning the screen. She frowned after a moment and scooted her seat back to the front, eyeing Tatsuya suspiciously.

"Detective Suou, there were supposed to be two other detectives coming down today at eleven o' clock." Right now it was only nine twenty-eight. "I don't have you scheduled in at all. Perhaps you should try calling the forensic team again…or the chief."

Tatsuya waited a moment until the buzzing faded from his ears.

"I don't need to call the chief," the teen replied, adjusting his glasses on his nose. "He sent me down here instead of the other two…Said he wanted a _real_ cop for the job."

The secretary looked at him with a face that read, _"What a conceited jerk."_ Instead of voicing what she was _really_thinking, she replied, "Whatever you say. I'll go and find the man dealing with the body. There's supposed to be an autopsy conducted today."

After she had removed herself from the chair _and_ the room altogether, and Tatsuya had made sure there was no one in sight, he gave a sharp hiss into the microphone, "What are you _doing!_ That's not something my brother would say! If you're going to do this correctly, you have to at _least act_ like him!"

He heard a soft laugh on the other line. _"Sorry," _Baofu apologized. _"I always wanted to know what Suou would sound like as a condescending, over-egotistical, wuss, rather than just a compliant wuss."_

"Yeah, well, do it some other time! You're putting my safety at risk, here. The _least_ you could do is _act_ accordingly." Tatsuya rolled his eyes and looked back to the door from which the nurse had exited from. "What's the coroner's name?"

_"Taijuro Shoda," _Baofu replied. _"He's a middle-aged man who seems really involved in his work. He's a well known participant in the crimes that go on with the police department and handles most of the files here. When you meet him, act like you know him. That way, he won't know the difference."_

Tatsuya paused, his mind touching up on many unanswered notes. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

_"That guy meets so many cops a day that he won't remember them, I'm sure. Just act like you know him and that you know what's going on and you should be fine."_

"But I _don't_ know what's going on!"

_"That's all right. That's why I'm here."_

"Gah…" Tatsuya's ears perked up at the sound of the opening door. The receptionist was walking back out, a manila folder in her hand.

"All right, Detective," she spoke, her voice almost gruff. "Mr. Shoda says that he will see you. You're just in time; he's almost ready to conduct the autopsy."

_"Tell her you're most grateful and ask if he's in the same office as before."_

"Thank you very much," the teen repeated. "Is he in the same office as before?"

"Yes."

Tatsuya froze, waiting for her to say more, but she simply stared at him. _Same office? I don't even know __**where**__ he was in the first place!_ Hoping to gain a truthful answer by making up a random one, he said, "Third floor, right?"

"Fifth floor, third door on the left."

"Right," he laughed, nervously. "I'm sorry about that."

She smiled, fingers returning to her keyboard. "It's not a problem. Please see yourself in."

He nodded and turned to brusquely walk to the door. "I'm going to kill you, Baofu," he hissed into the hidden microphone.

_"What? Why?"_

"Same office, _same_ office! Where's _that_ supposed to be!"

_"Hey, stop yelling at me! I didn't get a chance to tell you. It's on the fifth floor, third door on the left."_

Today was just not Tatsuya's day.

\/\/\/

"You seem to be enjoying Shiraishi," Maya told him, perching her elbow up on the table. "I didn't think that a guy of your standards would lower himself to coming here."

"You're absurd," Hero said, but a smile escaped his lips. He leaned forward with his chopsticks, twirling a bit more of his vegetable ramen around them. "I'm not a judge of character."

"I've noticed," she laughed. "A man of few words."

"Nate said the same thing."

Maya's eyebrows went up. "You went to see Nate? When?"

"The other day."

"And you didn't _tell_ me! I would've gone with you! I haven't seen Nate in a while!"

Hero cleared his throat. "It's more about personal matters, actually. I'll take you next time."

Maya looked skeptical. "So, what did Nate have to say?"

"Oh," the smile fled and Hero shifted nervously in his chair. "Nothing much. Yuki is planning a reunion of some sort for all of us. You know, because we went to St. Hermelin and all…"

"I see," she nodded, pushing her wonton ramen aside. Her thoughts drifted to Tatsuya and how she had tried to get a hold of him that morning. He didn't answer and she wondered where he could've been. After all, she _had_ wanted him to spend more time with her and Hero to ease his pain over his brother's leaving.

"You're not going to eat anymore?" he pointed to her bowl.

"Nah," Maya waved her hands at it, as though to make it vanish before her. "I'm not very hungry today."

Hero stared at her a moment longer, noodles hanging out from the corner of his lips. Despite her optimistic behavior from all the time he had known her, he was certain that she had her dark side. How ironic that it had come so soon. "…Can I have it?" he asked, slurping the noodles into his mouth.

Even though it seemed that she did not want to laugh, she did, and slid her bowl over to him, which he heartily devoured, alternating between his and her food. "Man," he said, in between bites, "you don't know what you're missing."

"I'm sure." Maya paid the tab and then stood away from the counter, waiting for him to wipe his mouth and follow behind her. _He can eat faster than I can!_ The thought was peculiar, but mostly because he seemed like a well respected man. _And probably wealthy, hee, hee…_

He, too, stood up, but continued to grab at the chopsticks, his face delving into each bowl, earning odd looks from the other customers and even the Shiraishi lady herself.

"All right," she said, chuckling softly and grabbing him by the arm, "I think you're done."

"Hey, wait, wait! Wonton!" His fingers dunked into the bowl, grabbed his prize, and plopped it into his mouth.

Far from embarrassed, Maya strolled out, dragging him behind. _What a comedian._

Stepping out into the crowded street, Hero took charge, clearing a path between the stationary tourists and customers. Once the traffic had settled, Maya fell in step behind him and the two continued around Kameya Alley.

"All right," Maya began to point in random directions. "That's the Satomi Tadashi store, T's Chiropractic, and Toa Armory."

"Satomi Tadashi?" At the name, Hero's eyes widened and he turned his attention to the store with the large, neon lit sign. "Tad?"

"Hmm?"

"In Lunarvale, one of my classmates, Tadashi Satomi…" he paused and then revised, "…Tad…Well, his father owned the entire line of Satomi Tadashi stores." Hero turned and arched his back, craning his head back to the store. "I never realized that they made it this far. Heh, guess he must be one rich guy now." There was another bit of silence, allowing him time to cross his arms over his chest. "Last I heard, he was dating Tammy Uchida. I wonder if they're still together…?"

"Tammy?" Maya blinked. "I know a Tammy who works at Kuzunoha—the detective agency."

"Really?" Hero's face brightened, more excited now than he had been since Maya had told him that she and Yuki were friends. "It really just might be her! Can we go to Kuzunoha?"

"There's no harm," she smiled, happy that she could be responsible in reuniting friends and family. _Hey! Maybe I should go into that Mansearching business with Ulala!_ "I'd be glad to take you there myself."

He looked like a child now, his eyes bright and glowing and the sun seemed to take a liking to him, highlighting his hair and facial features. He almost appeared gossamer to Maya, as though nothing of any wretchedness could touch him. "Honest? Thank you, Maya!" And he leaned forward, pulling her in a hug.

_He must not have seen any of them since their graduation. This really must mean a lot to him…_ Returning his smile, she embraced him.

He was warm and earnest and Maya couldn't help but feel like because of her, she was able to bring about something special for him. _That's really strange. I don't even know him that well yet._ And yet, that didn't seem true. It wasn't like when she had hugged the Tatsuya of the "Other Side" goodbye and wished him luck. The feelings…the warmth…it was different.

Even after their memories had been erased, Maya knew, deep down, that something was missing. Stumbling into Tatsuya in front of the station only furthered her thinking and, before she knew it, old feelings that she was unfamiliar with had flared up and it was only until Tatsuya had reintroduced himself did she fully remember who he was. _But this isn't the same with Hero, right? It's not possible to have Déjà vu twice, right? What would that even be called?_

No, that was foolish. He was a complete stranger with a pretty face and a cool smile. _You're just letting yourself get further than your head, Maya._

_Right?_

"Come on then," he said, releasing her before she had more time to argue with herself. "Let's go." But then he stopped, eyeing something else, "…Velvet Room…"

Maya's eyes jerked upwards at him, astonished. "What did you say?" _Stupid, stupid, Maya! He's a Persona and he knows Nate and Ellen. Of __**course**__ he'd know about the Velvet Room! …But does he know that I'm a Persona user, too?_

Hero simply smiled down at her. "I didn't say anything."

He was a strange one, that Hero Stonefield.

\/\/\/

"That's right, you came in before on another case, right…uh…" The coroner looked confused. Tatsuya was just plain uncomfortable.

"Detective Suou," Tatsuya answered without hesitance. _Just do what you do best, Tatsuya. Lie and keep your head._

"That's right," Taijuro Shoda said again, fingering the tools on his silver tray.

The moment that Tatsuya had entered the room, he wanted to gag…or die…whichever came first. The teen had never seen a dead body before, and this one was just gross. Shoda had uncovered the corpse upon the boy's arrival without a thought. _Doesn't he seem to __**care**__ what that is! It's a dead body! Well…maybe he likes dead bodies so much that that was the reason he took up this occupation in the first place. No normal person would enjoy sticking their hands into dead people._

Giving the corpse more attention now, Tatsuya realized that it looked like nothing more than a shrunken baby, deprived of nutrients, water, and blood. Fingers and toes were curling and facial features were hard to identify. _How did he manage to do it, though? Identification on him, perhaps?_ The victim's skin had darkened, as though it had been smothered underground and left there for days…no, years!

"Is there a problem, Detective?" the coroner asked, his voice steady and nonchalant. _There's no way he's human. He acts like nothing is wrong!_

And at the sound of such a question, Baofu was quick to pick up the line. _"Tell him 'no,' kid! Are you pale? You'd better not be. Keep your head, Tatsuya!"_

Tatsuya fought the urge to rip the microphone from his ear and stomp out of the room. This was already a risky plan set in motion, but the dead body and Baofu weren't making it any better. Taking one last look at the body, the teen turned his attention back to the coroner. _Dear Lord…the victim's eyes have rolled back into his head…Poor guy…_ "No, I'm fine," he lied with a straight face. "I was just…uh…observing the victim."

"That's my job," Shoda responded, as though insulted that Tatsuya had moved in on _his_ occupation. "I just give you the end results." Reaching back for his tools, the coroner added, "Speaking of which, I think it's about time we get started."

Tatsuya frowned, and his arms tightened across his chest, staring back and forth from the body to the coroner.

"You _are_ permitted to wait outside, you know."

Though the remark was made rather rudely, Tatsuya didn't mind the permission to leave one bit. He was about to thank Shoda and exit stage left until Baofu had a second opinion.

_"Tell him that you're staying inside. And bring the microphone in closer. I need to hear what he's saying."_

Cursing inwardly and feeling his breakfast come to the foundation of his esophagus, Tatsuya bitterly replied, "I'd…like to…_wait_ in here…" _I'm going to __**kill**__ you, Baofu! _"…if that's all right with you."

The coroner was surprised. And so was Tatsuya for saying such a thing. _This was __**not**__ how I wanted to spend my day off._ At the older man's baffled stare, the teen forced a smile, and, though he knew it was very uncharacteristic for his brother, said, "Dead bodies intrigue me."

"…" The coroner blinked several times, as though not fully comprehending what the boy had said. It looked as though he had wanted to say _"excuse me?"_ but only managed a, "…Oh…Well, fine then." Shoda pulled at his gloves and moved forward.

Tatsuya rolled his eyes, attempting to keep his temper down. _Why me? Why? Five-hundred is __**not**__ enough for __**this!**_

"No apparent incisions on the body," the coroner observed, moving his hands along the ribcage of the shrunken body. "Major outward injuries are also not evident, however, that does not disclose internal injuries. There are several scrapes and bruises, it seems, but they do not appear to be deep enough to actually cause any major damage."

Tatsuya wasn't really sure what he was talking about, but Baofu was.

_"No blood on the body, eh? Ask him if the main cause of death was asphyxiation."_

Tatsuya stalled. _Asphyxi—what?_ "Uh, was the main cause of death asphxer…asphxy…"

"Asphyxiation?"

"Yeah."

"I'm determining that right now."

"Oh."

Tatsuya had the sudden urge to glare at the microphone.

The coroner continued along as though there had not been any interruptions. His hands encircled one of the shrunken arms, playing with the fingers at the very end. "There may have been a struggle before the victim's murder. There is a broken fingernail on the thumb and on the index. Perhaps a struggle or the victim was clawing onto something before he died."

_"Broken fingernails, eh? Ask if he can check for flesh underneath the nails."_

"Can you check for flesh underneath the fingernails?" Tatsuya asked, trying to sound interested. _I have no idea what these guys are talking about. The guy died, so why do we need to find out if he had a struggle or not?_

"It may be difficult…" Shoda admitted. "Though the body was only estimated to have been underground for approximately thirty-six hours, most of our evidence has been defiled by soil and dirt from within the ground. The murderer picked the softest area where clay was most abundant, so now, the victim is covered in mud. We can't do much cleaning until we try to pick him apart first. We'll cut him open later to investigate the condition of his organs."

"I see," Tatsuya nodded.

_"I thought this was supposed to be a homicide investigation," _Baofu complained. _"Why wasn't that the first thing they checked for? Tatsuya, ask if his hands were ever placed in bags. That way, we'll know if they had ever planned on taking residue and fingernail samples."_

"Uh…" Tatsuya had missed half of what Baofu was saying, but tried his best to relay the question. "You said earlier that his fingernails were broken. Did you establish that because his hands were placed in bags to search for more evidence?"

"Of course they were placed in bags." _Guess it was a stupid question. Thanks a lot, Baofu._

Taijuro continued along the body, firmly pressing on the forearms and elbows before moving to the torso and lower legs. "Bruises apparent on the right thigh, scrapes on the lower back, and…" He circled the table and reached for the back of the victim's head. "I'm seeing a large hematoma on the back of the cranium. There is also a fracture along the right side of the skull…" his fingers moved along until it met the outer edge of the man's dirty eyebrows, "…all the way along the temple. There is no sign of skin break, so it must be an internal injury."

"Is that the blow that killed him?" Tatsuya asked, not even waiting for Baofu to speak up.

"Most likely," Shoda admitted. "But then, after the victim's death, all the blood was drained from his body…"

_"How can that be?"_ Baofu cut in, startling Tatsuya. _"He said there were no incisions! How would the murderer drain the blood from the body?"_

"I thought you said that there were no incisions," the teen repeated. "How would the murderer do such a thing?"

"That, actually, has me in a bind as well." Shoda continued to run his fingers along the chest of the victim, as though searching for something to give him any clues. "And the shriveling of the body…Even after being underground, thirty-six hours is not enough time to do such a thing. It's like…the life and blood of this man was sucked out like a vacuum and he was buried underground. His bones have shrunken down to an unreasonable size, and his skin has darkened dramatically. I surmise that his internal organs have decreased in size so terribly that it's hard to believe he ever had any at all."

"You can tell that just from looking at him?"

"Our scanner does all of that for us."

There was a long hiatus before Baofu cut in, _"Wait…does that mean that he's already conducted an X-Ray scanning?"_

"Have you already done the X-Ray?" Tatsuya rallied back.

"Yes," Shoda said, looking up at Tatsuya. "The files came in just a little while ago in the back."

_"Awesome!"_ Baofu exclaimed on the other end. _"We'll get that information for sure!"_ The teen merely scowled.

"The evidence has also already been pulled from the body and clothes," the coroner gestured to the nude man on the autopsy table. "The diener has handled that and will be helping me clean the body once all is done."

"So, it seems like there isn't much else to do," Tatsuya assumed. "Apparently there was a struggle, the man was struck in the back of the head and killed, and then his body was buried under the ground. The only thing left unsolved is how his blood wound up from there…" the teen gestured to the corpse, "…to wherever the blood is now."

"No," Shoda shook his head. "There is still much to be uncovered. That is all the physical examination that I can give at this moment; a more in depth internal examination will still have to be conducted." The coroner removed his plastic gloves, whipping them as they were flung off. He turned to his sink and began to wash his hands with care. "I'm afraid all I have are the X-Rays, today's report, and any evidence pulled from the victim's clothes and skin. We must still do a fingernail and residue search. There are no fluids in his body, so we have no indication if he was drunk, on medication, or doing drugs at the time. And we must also cut him open to examine the remains of the organs."

"Oh," was all Tatsuya said.

_"Be more precise about this, Tatsuya! Ask him if they found out the identification of the man."_

Ready to start cursing Baofu out, the teen stood up, counting to ten. _I thought we already __**established**__ that information!_ But still, he asked, "Well…we know this man's name. How were you able to identify him?"

"Part of the evidence that was found on his clothes was his wallet that held his identification, money, and a cell phone."

"Ah, so plenty of information there."

_"Ask him who holds all the information now."_

"Who is holding all of the information on this man now?"

"I am," Shoda replied, wheeling his silver tray away from the body. "I suppose we'll have to place him back into the evidence bag…"

_"Quickly! Before he leaves, ask if you can see the information."_

"He's not gonna give something like that to me!" Tatsuya hissed into the microphone, eyeing the coroner on the other side of the room.

"Pardon?"

Tatsuya flinched. Apparently, he had been a little too loud when talking back to Baofu.

"Uh…I was wondering if there was any information you'd let me see..." With a big grin on his face, Tatsuya watched as the coroner stared at him for the umpteenth time with an odd look plastered on his face. _Man, he thinks I'm such a dork…_

"Well…I'm only allowed to disclose this information to the detective on this case and the Chief of Police."

"I _am_ on this case," Tatsuya replied, hastily. "Otherwise I wouldn't have come down here."

Still, Shoda did not seem convinced. _Guess I rose his suspicions all throughout the examination. Great. Now what am I going to do?_

"That's fine then," the coroner replied. "But you don't mind if I ask the chief for this one first, right, Detective Suou?"

_"Son of a…"_

"Not at all," Tatsuya agreed, blurting out over Baofu's cursing. "Be my guest."

Nodding, the coroner walked towards the door. "I'll be right back, then. Please, wait here for me."

Once the door shut behind Shoda, Tatsuya immediately began to panic. "Baofu! He's going to call Sakamoto!" He had begun to pace around the autopsy table, running a hand through his hair. "What are we going to do!"

_"Calm down, kid."_

"Once he finds out that my brother isn't on this case, they're going to arrest me!"

_"I said, '__**calm down!**__'"_ Tatsuya's mouth snapped shut and once the teen realized how close he was to the dead body, he jumped backwards several feet. _"Now, you have to get out of there before he gets back. His desk will be in the back corner somewhere. I want you to grab today's reports and then grab all the reports on his desk. We don't have time to make copies."_

"Hell no!" Tatsuya screamed into the microphone, sweat appearing at the brim of his forehead. "I'm getting out of here, _now!_"

_"Tatsuya, I __**need**__ those reports! Now, you're going to grab them, right now!"_

"No way," the teen shook his head and began searching for a window. _I can't climb out…I'm five stories high…!_

_ "Tatsuya, **do** this for me and I'll give you seven-hundred!"_

"No amount of money will-"

_"One-thousand!"_

_Curses!_ "Fine!" Moving along the counter, Tatsuya snatched up the identification paper he found and then sprinted to the back, tearing the office door open and hurling himself in.

The desk was neat and tidy, much to Tatsuya' relief, and he spotted the single manila envelope on the center of the wooden surface. On the top of the envelope read "Kazuya Ogasawara." Seizing the envelope, he turned his attention back to the microphone. "All right, got the reports. Now what?"

_"Time to high-tail it out of there. I'm going to pull along the backside of the building and wait for you there. Make __**sure**__ you don't go out the front and __**above**__ all else, don't let Shoda see you."_

Tearing out of the office, Tatsuya skidded to a screeching halt at the front of the door, crashing into it. Shaking his head to clear out his panic, the teen opened the door and peeked outside. _Look left…Check. Look right…Check._

"No one's out here," he whispered.

_"All right, then casually walk out of the room…"_ Tatsuya did so. _"Now, walk in the direction of the elevator-make sure to hide those reports!-and head down to floor one. I'll bet dollars to donuts that Shoda went to confront the receptionist before calling the chief."_

"You think so?"

_"I don't think he trusted us to begin with."_ Tatsuya heard the older man curse on the other line. _"I've never met him personally, but I didn't think he'd act like this."_

The improvising detective was moving down the corridor now, stuffing the reports into his jacket, caring not if he crushed them. _Right now, I just want to get out of here._ "Then how did you hear about him in the first place?"

_"Let's just say a little bird told me. I found out this guy was in charge of the examination for that corpse back there and the rest is history."_

"I see." Tatsuya halted. Two dieners were wheeling a body bag down the hall. They were talking, not really noticing him, but it made the teen anxious none the less. "Two people are coming down the hall. What should I do?"

_"Are you still in the corridor away from them?"_

"Yes."

_"Hang out there a moment longer and wait for them to pass you."_

"What about Shoda?"

_"We're going to have to take our chances."_

He waited, frowning. Crossing his fingers for any luck, he waited while the two slowly strolled by, talking about the new body in their possession. _How could __**anyone**__ want this job? It's horrible!_

Becoming more overwrought, Tatsuya glanced at the other end of the hall, hoping that Shoda wouldn't surprise him from behind. He calmed himself when he realized that the hall was empty, save himself, and he turned back to the passing dieners. _They didn't see me…_ He watched as they continued by, oblivious to his tall form. _Now's my chance!_

He brusquely moved for the other end of the hall, the salvation of the elevator nearing his reach.

_"Wouldn't it be a bummer if Shoda was riding up on that elevator as we speak?"_

"Shut up, Baofu!" Tatsuya hissed, as bad thoughts filled his mind. "You're going to jinx everything!" He heard the tap buster chuckle on the other end. "If you want, I can just dump the reports in the trash can here."

_"Okay, okay, I'm zipping the lip."_

Tatsuya pressed the down button on the elevator, looking over his shoulder to see if the dieners had noticed him at all. He was lucky when he realized that they were long gone and he was the only one there.

The elevator opened seconds after, revealing an empty space and he stepped in, pivoting on his back heel to press the "1" button on the numerical pad. Glancing upwards, Tatsuya's face paled when he saw Shoda coming in his direction from the other end of the hall. A moment later, the doors closed and Tatsuya was riding down on his getaway mobile.

\/\/\/

"Detective," Taijuro Shoda opened the door back into the examination room. "I just contacted Chief Sakamoto and he _clearly_ informed me that you were not assigned to this investigation at all. In fact, you were supposed to be on a plane trip to Lunarvale, if I'm not mistaken…Detective?" Shoda walked into the empty room, the cadaver the only thing there to greet him. "Detective?"

His office door was wide open. Curious, he walked over to the open frame and peered inside. "Detective?"

The envelope was gone.

\/\/\/

"If you _ever_ send me to do an errand like that _again__**,**_ I will snap your neck in half!"

Baofu was laughing in the front seat, his arm perched on the steering wheel. "I can't believe you made it out of there, kid. Let me see the envelopes."

"No way," Tatsuya shook his head. "First, the money. I didn't get my butt taken off for nothing."

"In a minute," Baofu looked back towards the E.R. "In about twenty seconds, Shoda is going to find out his reports are gone and he's going to be calling the police. Guess it's time to make our exit too."

The tap buster turned over the engine, waiting for the humming to soften, and sped away from his parallel parking spot on the backside of the building.

\/\/\/

Tatsuya expected to be hearing some horrible news coming from the police station. For the first few nights, he laid awake in bed, wondering if Sakamoto would eventually call, accusing Tatsuya of stealing from the morgue. But after five days passed since his intrusion at the morgue, he began to feel a little easier. Baofu could only pay him half of what he owed after the assignment was completed, but was going to come by with the rest sometime later. Over the course of those few days, Tatsuya spent time with Maya and Hero to ease his guilt, and distract himself from the incident altogether.

\/\/\/

"Comic books?" Hero quirked an eyebrow. "Well, sure. Of course I like them."

"You got any in that mansion of yours?" Tatsuya joked. "What about motorcycle magazines?"

"Is _that _what you do in your spare time instead of studying, Tatsuya?" Hero laughed and shook his head. "And my house really isn't all _that_ big. Narumi Ward doesn't implicate anything." Rolling his eyes, he continued, "Now then, what other cool things are in Yumezaki anyway? Remember, you promised to show me something awesome today."

"You mean because Maya couldn't be here?" Tatsuya jerked a thumb to the store across the street. "There's the Seedy CD. I'll bet even a rich guy like you likes music."

"Ha. That's not the _only_ thing I like. Is there an arcade around here?"

"There might be. Why?"

"I think we should go there, next."

\/\/\/

"Woah, and I heard horror stories from my brother," Tatsuya blinked rapidly. "But I don't see _anything_ of the sort that would indicate that this place had been a disaster."

"You can thank Mr. Valiant Knight over there for that," Maya shot a glance in Hero's direction before moving into the kitchen. "He's the one who cleaned the place up."

"I _do_ believe you helped, too, my fairest. For if not for you, the wretched monster from within the depths of doom might have had his way with you!" He bowed, courteously, and followed after her. "Anyway, I'm surprised that it's still cleaned. It's been, what? Three days? I should think to have seen a book fallen from its stack, and papers raining about by now."

"Ha, ha. Very funny." Maya opened the refrigerator and peered inside. A moment later, she withdrew five cans of crab. Hero looked at her with incredulity.

"What?" she asked, standing there holding the cans.

"You invite us over for dinner because your friend is at someone else's place…"

"Yeah?"

"…and canned crab is the best you can do?"

Tatsuya appeared behind Hero. Maya gawked.

"And just _what_ is wrong with canned crab?"

"Nothing," Hero brushed past her, "_if_ you don't care about a first impression. Now then, I do believe you need to be enlightened, my dear. We all have daily lives, but in the presence of guests, they demand your fullest and utmost hospitality. Do you get what I mean?" He opened the freezer and stared inside. "…Frozen food? Canned crab?" He quickly closed the freezer. "Maya…is that _all_ you eat?"

"You weren't kidding, Maya," Tatsuya jumped in. "He's like a regular mom. If you wanted to order pizza, that would be fine with me. Or even order out."

Hero shook his head. "This simply won't do."

Maya appeared annoyed. Hero took the canned crab from her hands, set them down on the counter, and patted her shoulder. "Hero…" she began, warningly. He ignored it.

"What else you got around here, Maya? Let's see what we can prepare."

Maya, ticked off, balled her fists and began to go after Hero with a vengeance. It was all Tatsuya could do to keep from laughing.

\/\/\/

"Lunarvale, huh?" Maya leaned back against her recliner, and stared at Hero. "What's it like there?"

"Same as Sumaru, really," he admitted. He turned and looked to where she had kicked off her shoes and absentmindedly set them off to the side.

She noticed and rolled her eyes. "Obsessive compulsive disorder. _Really,_ Hero. A clean _and _cooking freak? What did I ever do to you?"

"Killed my cell phone." He held a finger up, "And that's not the _only_ thing I've heard. Tatsuya tells me that he's heard from his brother that you're a scary driver."

"Am not!" she shouted at him and hurled a pillow in his direction.

He laughed and tossed the pillow back. "Is that _so? _I bet you are."

Maya pushed herself up straight. "You _really_ wanna bet on that? I'll tell you what, smarty-pants. I'll rock-paper-scissor you, and if I win, you butt out of my personal habits. Got it?"

It sounded so stupid, really, and Maya expected him to back down, thinking the same thing. _Besides, he doesn't want to go against me. I'm the rock-paper-scissors champ! I'll make him beg and scream for mercy!_ Her plan was blown completely out of the water a moment later.

"You're on. If I win, you play into my OCD for two weeks. Got it?"

Maya grimaced. "So that means I have to cook, too?"

"Yup."

She glared at him. _He isn't gonna win. I'll bet that much on him. Just because he's a Persona User doesn't mean he'll one-up me._ "Best two out of three." _Come on, scissors!_

"You got it." Hero raised a balled hand.

\/\/\/

Maya was in the kitchen, sourly preparing lunch for her guests. "I can't believe I lost," she mumbled. "He even gave in and played best of seven. I really don't like that guy."

"Now, now," said the victorious Hero Stonefield from the door frame. "That's not an attitude to take. What's on the menu?"

"A knuckle sandwich," she shot him daggers.

"Come on, Maya," Tatsuya chuckled, munching on an apple from the fruit bowl behind him. "I'm actually looking forward to your cooking."

"I'll even show you how to cut the carrots," Hero joked.

Maya grabbed hold of her cutting knife. And did she look fierce.

\/\/\/

"Wait up, Brad. We're going to play Persona? What? Are you stupid?" He was younger then, with boyish features and a goofy grin. He had dressed like his mother never taught him any better and his hat was on crooked.

His opponent, Brad, was much better looking. His fashion sense was of a higher standard, too. He had a pair of goggles hugging his red hair, a purple shirt with a red spade underneath the coat of his uniform, and red boots that looked like ski shoes on his feet. His ear, fingers, and wrists were decorated in silver jewelry, hoping to dazzle whoever looked upon him.

"No, you're stupid!" Brad retorted, getting in Mark's face. Still, no matter how much the two fought, Mark was one of the redhead's best friends. "Persona will work, trust me." At the skeptical look given by the boy of African descent, Brad added, "Man, I'll even bet you on it!"

"All right, then!" Mark rose to the challenge, and arched his back, looking up at Brad, who was slightly taller than he. "The loser treats us all to dinner at Peace Diner!"

The bet had seemed fair. Now that the contenders were up to bat, all that was needed were the vouchers.

"Okay!" a girl in the back with blonde hair tied in pigtails chirped. She was a wide-eyed student with freckles lining her fair features and heavy lipstick against her mouth. Despite the cute, green, ruffled ties in her hair, her loss of innocence was demonstrated by the band-aids on her neck, obviously intended to cover up bruises caused by "suckling" from the opposite sex. "I'll bet on Brad!"

"I bet on Brad, too!" Eyes turned to a more exotic woman who had a small, orange scarf tied around her neck. Her long, ebony hair was tied back into a ponytail, which hovered at the end of her lower back. She was slim, with a rather attractive body and eyes that slanted upwards into a beautiful, and almost alluring, shine. They were mysterious and highlighted by her soft, red painted lips. Her voice was smooth, and almost elegant as the words danced along her tongue.

"Hey, wait up…" Mark looked back and forth between the blonde ditz known as Alana, and the exotic raven beauty given the name of Ellen. As though feeling betrayed, the boy whirled around to meet the eyes of two more of his friends. "Nate, Yuki…Which side are you on?"

The tall boy turned away, folding his arms across his chest. The dim light in the room reflected against his spectacles, hiding mature eyes, and slick, black hair, in which only a few lone strands escaped into his eyes. His uniform was clean, pressed, and rather attractive in color. The one thing that stood out more than his neat attire was the sky blue scarf tied around his neck with the number "1" printed in a rich, black color in the middle of the fabric.

"Psh…" Nate pushed the air through his lips and then tightly closed them for a moment. "I don't care."

The woman next to him with the short, dark hair, was in the same state. A gold colored barrette was pinned on the left side of her head, and as her hips moved, the long chain clipped at her belt chimed against her. Her uniform was attractive, much like Nate's, with a long skirt that nearly reached her ankles, but revealed enough to see her black nylons and matching colored, polished shoes.

"I don't care, either," Yuki said, immediately afterwards, her voice deep and just as mature as Nate and Ellen's. "Do whatever you guys like."

Mark was losing out and he knew it. "Psh! You guys suck as usual." Searching for his one last hope, he met Hero's eyes, and rubbed the back of his neck. "What about you, Hero? Who are you going to bet on?" Before the navy haired boy could answer, Mark impulsively added, "You're on me, right?"

Normally, Hero didn't like confrontations-even friendly ones-simply because, in the end, friendly ones tended to become not so friendly. Still, he was being forced into it, and Mark _was_ one of his good friends, but…

"I bet on Brad."

Mark was taken aback, and Hero braced himself for the explosion of a lifetime. The navy haired boy proved to be a traitor, and now, in the eyes of Mark, he had to be punished.

"You, too?" Throwing his arms up, Mark spun around, eyeing everyone, dangerously. "What the heck! Wassup with everyone!"

Sensing victory, Brad pointed a sturdy finger at his opponent and said, "You'll be sorry!" Smiling, he told everyone else, "Okay, let's begin."

It was arranged, then. Brad, Alana, Mark, and Ellen were positioned in the four corners while Nate, Yuki, and Hero had remained in the center. The navy haired boy watched as Brad signaled the "okay" and Alana took a deep breath from her top right corner.

"Here I go!" she announced, looking around. "Ummm…Persona, Persona, please come to us!"

It was all a part of the ritual to summon the Persona. She walked to her right over to Brad, which signaled that it was his turn to call out to beings from beyond.

"Persona, Persona, come here!"

The spectators continued to watch intently as the redhead moved across the room to the lower left hand corner, where a very despondent Mark awaited. He cursed soundly, but when Brad stood before him, he said, "...Why the heck are we doing this…?"

"Come on!" Brad urged, his patience thinning. "This is for all you can eat! Hurry up!"

Thinking that the taller boy was going to pop a vein, Mark chilled him, holding his hands up to his face, defensively. "Okay…Okay…" Turning away from Brad, he stifled a sigh and said, "Persona, come here." It was unenthusiastic, rushed, and above all else, it was done in order to tick Brad off—which worked effectively, in Hero's opinion. The redhead frowned and tapped his foot with impatience as Mark shuffled towards Ellen on the lower right hand side of the room.

Mark stood before her, whistling, and Ellen looked at him, oddly. "Okay," she nodded, "it's my turn…" Clearing her throat, she looked to the ceiling, eyes closed. "Persona, Persona, please come to us." Her feet brought her to the starting position across the room, where Alana had once been.

"Here it comes!" Brad said immediately afterwards, clenching his fists and smiling with the most hopeful eyes that Hero had ever seen him have.

They waited…and waited…and waited for several moments more.

There was still the same lone silence, the same musty air, and the same seven kids in the room.

"…What?" Brad looked around, wondering if he had missed something. He left his corner, walking back to the center of the room.

Alana's face puffed and she joined Brad in the middle, standing on her tiptoes to push her face into his. "Hey, Brad!" she shouted. "Don't I look stupid now!"

Hero's eyes wandered to Mark, who was having the time of his life. He was no longer sour, and his dark eyes were lit up with a sense of arrogance that only Hero saw.

"Ah, yeah!" he laughed, walking back to the center of the room, Ellen behind him. "Wassup now! Looks like I win!"

Yuki rolled her eyes and glanced at her watch. "Are you happy now? Let's go."

Brad jumped in her way, flailing his hands about. "Wait! Let's try one more time, okay?" Realizing that he had lost all of the respect that he had gained at the beginning of the game, he gestured to Mark, quickly thinking of an excuse. "Mark didn't try hard enough!"

"Shut the heck up!" the accused spat, his eyes hurling daggers. "Don't be trying to blame me for your own mistakes!"

Hero watched the two argue like little children, pushing each other, calling names, and it finally ended when Brad got the shorter boy in a headlock and punished him with a well deserved fierce head rub using the tips of his knuckles.

The fight was broken when a startled Nate staggered backwards, pointing a shaky finger behind Mark.

"H…Hey, Mark…Look behind you!"

Brad pushed the shorter boy off of him and Mark stumbled back, adjusting the hat that the redhead had knocked off of him.

"What's up?" the punk kid asked, shaking the dizziness from him. "Don't be trying to trick me! The bet's still on!" But he turned around anyway, and his eyes widened. "What the…!"

Following his gaze, the others had whirled around to see a small child dressed in a white dress, holding something small. She said nothing, but simply stared at all the bewildered teens.

"What is that?" Alana whispered. "Is it real?"

Ellen seemed to be the most excited and she clapped her hands together, a smile breaking at her face. "Last time we did this we only heard sounds. This time, we're seeing images."

"See?" Brad was sharing Ellen's enthusiasm and he looked to Mark, making sure that the latter saw the look of superiority on the taller boy's face. "I told you something would happen. _Now_ do you believe me?"

Mark was bitter again, though he didn't have time to retort to Brad's sinister remark.

The girl in white began to sob, rubbing her eyes with one hand. "…Help me…" she sniffled. "…Help…"

Her voice was cut off as lightning rained down upon the teens, causing them to jump in surprise. One bolt landed behind Mark while another struck beside Ellen.

"What?" Mark spun around and tumbled into Brad as two more volts of electricity were hurled around him.

"What's happening!" Nate was in the same state as everyone else, though it was very uncharacteristic of him to lose his composure. Ellen, however, was even more thrilled than she had been before and squealed in delight.

"It's fantastic!" she cried. "It's so intriguing!"

Again, Hero watched as the lightning hit all around them, four times more, and Alana shrilled, covering her ears with her hands.

"Watch out, everybody!" Yuki warned and then she looked up, eyes wide.

Several seconds later, Yuki was struck down, then Mark, Nate, and lastly, the navy haired boy.

\/\/\/

Hero jumped up, throwing the sprawled out book that had been on his chest to the floor. It took a moment for him to regain his senses, heart pounding, lungs demanding heavy gulps of air, and sweat pouring down his face and under his clothes.

_Where am I?_ Looking around, his vision eventually came into focus and the four lamps in front of him merged into one.

"…I fell asleep on the couch…" he murmured after a moment, staring at the living room of his house. The grandfather clock pushed up against the wall read 7:34. Comforted by its rhythm of ticking, Hero fell back onto the pillow of the couch, sighing heavily. "Just a dream…" he said, words slurring as he closed his eyes and felt around on the floor with his fingers to recover his lost book.

When he found it, he clasped it by its open cover, and brought it back onto his chest. He pried open one eye and then the other. _Thus Spoke Zarathustra,_ by Nietzsche. It was one of his favorite books, though he couldn't quite figure out why. He tapped the cover of it for just a moment before craning his head back to stare up into the deep ceiling where a spinning fan whirled above him.

"Those dreams…" he whispered. "They're just getting worse. Now they're delving deep into the past…four years ago…"

\/\/\/

Four years ago…it had been that long…

Maya Amano was abruptly awakened by the ringing of the telephone. She had been laying on her bed in an uncomfortable fashion. Pulling herself into a sitting position, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

Perhaps that was Hero, calling to tell her that he had manage to get a hold of Tammy successfully. When they had arrived at Kuzunoha five days ago, Todoroki had regretfully informed that Tammy had not been scheduled to work for the next few days and Hero sulked out the door without saying why he had come in the first place.

Swinging her feet to the floor, Maya tiredly stood up. _That reminds me…Katsuya hasn't called me at all since he's been gone… _Would _she_ scold him later, making her worry like that. She moved towards the ringing phone, groaning and complaining all the while, and pulled it off the receiver.

"Hello?" she answered, wiping the remainder of sleep from her eyes.

_"Maya…" _the voice was abnormal, but familiar to her. It sounded as though it was hysteric, almost incoherent, and her name was spoken with such urgency.

"Yes, yes, hello?" She held the phone closer to her now, fully attentive.

_"I…I couldn't think of anyone else to call but you…"_ Maya knew who it was, despite the tone in the voice.

"Tatsuya? What? What's wrong?" The reporter cradled the phone and sat in her desk chair, leaning forward so that she could catch everything he was saying. Tatsuya wasn't crying…maybe…but he seemed more hyperactive than somber.

_"I got a call from the station…"_ he started, his words shaky, as though it were painful to keep a steady voice. _"My brother is dead."_

\/\/\/

Bummer huh? Poor Katsuya. Did I REALLY kill him off? …Do you even care? Ha! Just kidding. Please read and review!

ML


	5. All Things Considered

**Disclaimer: **I wish I owned everything. Because then I would've brought back ALL of the Persona characters and stuffed them into FEES. Boy, what a crossover THAT would be!

**A/N:** I have to say thank you to all of my reviewers and readers. I know that that's not many, but considering what an old game Persona is (that and the fact that it's clearly been replaced by Persona 3. Not that I'm bitter or anything because I enjoyed Persona 3 very much), I'm surprised I have any at all. But it's you who keeps me going. So please continue to read and let me know what you think!

Now! Onto Katsuya's funeral! …Or IS it?

**\/\/\/**

**Dance to the Waltz**

**Chapter Five**

**All Things Considered**

**\/\/\/**

Katsuya Suou had not had the time to keep his promise to Maya, which discouraged him, as he hated breaking his word. He had spent quite some time on the plane and slept he had not. There was too much on his mind, like the well-being of his brother, issues back at work, and, of course, his old friends.

It wasn't like Katsuya didn't _trust_ Miss Amano to watch over his little brother; it was just the fact that he _knew_ what their past relationship had been like, and it worried him slightly. _Is this too much of a burden on her? Will Tatsuya remember the "Other Side" like before?_ Or…(and this thought scared him too much to _ever_ be spoken aloud)…_ Will he and Maya become…lovers?_

He immediately scolded himself, believing that whatever happened between them was none of his business and, thus, had no reason to play a part in it. Still…it bothered him. It was hard to get over something like love, and four months wasn't enough time to even begin to try.

It wasn't as though he had spent a _lot_ of time with Maya after Monado Mondala, mostly because he had felt embarrassed to. After she had found out his "well hidden" secret, he couldn't look her straight in the eye again. He had always wondered how she felt in return, but after learning of the "Other Side," he realized that there was no room for him and his silly feelings.

With thoughts like those, who could sleep?

Well…that had been a part of the reason he had chosen to make the decisions he had. Upon coming to terms that he couldn't have Maya, the understanding between he and his brother was gone, and that his newfound friends were moving on with their lives, Katsuya felt as though he had been the only one who hadn't learned, grown, and matured throughout the entire ordeal.

And that made him feel worse.

_Am I really so pathetic and selfish that I'd rather keep this all for myself instead of sharing in our new peace?_

Peace? What peace? Crimes were still being committed, hatred was still spreading, and wars were still going on. Where, exactly, was the peace?

There was none. He was just deluding himself again. So that was why he took back up the habit of smoking. That was why he began to drink almost as much as Baofu. And _that_ was why he had decided to become more involved in his work. He wondered if the Tatsuya of the "Other Side" would be proud or disappointed in his new choices. _I'm not exactly __**abandoning**__ Tatsuya; I'm just trying out new experiences like he told me to. I'm giving Tatsuya the space he wants and trying to keep my own head all at the same time. What's wrong with that?_

Then, he had sunk further back into his plane seat. _Suou, you're so stupid. You think you can fool yourself, but you know yourself better than anyone, they say. Well…supposedly you do. You know that your courses of action are caused by depression and self-pity. It has nothing to do with trying out new things._

Again, he felt even more forlorn than he thought he could.

Perhaps, that was another reason he didn't call Maya. But the main reason had been Lunarvale's police force, which refused to let him sleep. The moment he stepped off of the plane, he was greeted by several of Sakamoto's old colleagues, who took him into custody and chauffeured him to the Lunarvale Police Station on the northern end of town.

"We've set you up with one of our colleagues. He said that you could stay with him while you conduct your research."

"My thanks," Katsuya responded to the officer in shotgun. He stifled a yawn and kept his eyes focused on the window, as though something interesting was held outside.

"We'll let you unpack there and you can start early tomorrow."

Early was _too_ early, and Katsuya had wished the officer would've informed him of it.

At the station, the young detective was introduced to his partner for the time being as well as roommate. His name was Hideki, a man almost twice Katsuya's age, who had been on the force for twenty-seven years. The older man gave him a look around the station, and Katsuya noted that it was plenty commodious and larger than the station back home. Staring at the vicinity in awe, the two spent the next hour sightseeing in the building, running over rules and regulations, and getting to know each other.

Hideki was a divorced man (for nearly ten years on the running) who lived alone on the other side of town. He was a big man (one would say "overweight") with thinning, gray speckled, brown hair, and most certainly not one of the tidiest. His office was in disarray, with papers cluttered all over his desk, dust on the walls and ceiling, and a dead houseplant given to him by someone named "Babe," (as implied on the card) whoever that was.

He dressed similarly, fading black pants, stained white shirt, and large suspenders molding over the form of his massive belly. He had a stout chin, and a nose that looked as though it had been broken several times. Even his eyes were not set straight, though he claimed that he could see as clearly as glass. Despite his wide and intimidating frame, Hideki was a good cop at heart, and well respected amongst his colleagues. His voice was deep, yet stern, earning the attention of whomever he spoke to.

Hideki admired the force, and spent all his time on several projects. _He reminds me of myself,_ Katsuya thought, depressingly. _I wonder if I'll wind up like him when I'm forty-eight—a divorced bachelor living alone…Fat, messy, and an unattractive workaholic._ The thought sent shivers down his spine.

"So," Hideki turned, leaning his body against the counter in the main hall. "That's that."

"It's a very large place," Katsuya admitted. "And it's a luxurious vicinity."

"Fish tank creature in the ocean for the very first time." Hideki shook his head. "Don't try to fool yourself, kid, this place ain't _that_ fancy." Katsuya snapped his mouth shut. "All that matters is that you know where everything is, how it's done, and when it needs to be done." Reaching out with a large hand, the older man waited for Katsuya to take and shake it. The young detective hesitantly did so. "But I've heard a great many things about you. I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Thank you," Katsuya replied, not sure what else to say.

"Come on, I'll take you to my place."

Just as the Sumaru officer expected, Hideki's living quarters were just like his own environment at work. He occupied a small, one-story home with a dull blue frame and a more earthly gray paintjob. Weeds had sprung up all over his house, and even the lawn had died. Katsuya hoped that he didn't own any pets for fear of what they would look like…or if they'd even _be_ alive.

The inside wasn't much different. There was no food in the fridge, the cabinets were bare, and the kitchen was covered with dirty dishes. The carpet looked as though it hadn't been vacuumed in months, and the good officer's clothes were scattered about, hanging off the back of the moth-eaten couth, laying in a crumpled mess on the floor, or hiding in more dead houseplants.

"Don't mind the disaster," Hideki told Katsuya. _He_ obviously didn't, but Katsuya was used to a much more cleanly surrounding. The place immediately made him think of Tatsuya and how he was taking care back home. _It probably won't be long until our house looks just like this one…_

Katsuya turned to watch a spider scramble up the wall. "Um…well…it's a nice house…" he forced himself to say.

"It's a pigsty," Hideki argued. "Anyone with two good eyes can see that."

_Perhaps I should just stop lying. It seems to make things worse._

"I'll prepare your room," the older officer said, reaching out for Katsuya's suitcase. "If you'd like, I'll put your luggage in there as well."

"Oh…thanks." The young detective handed the brown case to the waiting officer, who turned and began his way down the hall. "Fix yourself something to drink, if you want. As long as you're staying here, I have no objections."

"Thank you again." Katsuya waited until he had disappeared down at the end of the hall before shuffling towards the kitchen. He wasn't comfortable hanging out at other people's houses, but after the long and exhausting plane ride, a drink sounded rather nice.

He pulled the door open and looked inside. _A jar of wasabi and a six pack. Well…I suppose I'll take one of the six pack._ Prying one of the bottles from the cardboard drink holder, Katsuya snapped the lid and put the cold glass to his lips. It surprised him how relaxed he became. _It's absurd, really. I'm acting foolish._ But for just _one_ minute, he turned the other cheek. _Maybe, acting like this in a great once in a while isn't so bad._

Hideki reappeared several minutes later, wiping his hands across his pants, as though he had contaminated them with something dirty. "Your room is finished. You can retire whenever you're ready." Then, he saw the beer in Katsuya's hand, "…Never thought you were much of a drinker. Guess it's true that you can't judge a book by its cover…"

"I'm not an alcoholic," Katsuya protested, slowly waving the bottle about. "I just needed the change, that's all. I'm…" _Drinking sweeps sorrows away like a broom! …Screw you, Baofu!_ "Well…Yes, maybe I _do_ drink too much for my own good…"

"In every man's life, there's going to be winners and losers. But no one ever said anything about cheaters. I don't mind if you drink."

Whatever that little ditty meant, Katsuya hadn't the slightest clue, _or_ what it had to do with his newfound drinking problem. Well…it wasn't _exactly_ a problem, but…

"…I think I'll go to bed now." Katsuya set the beer on the counter.

"What? Aren't you gonna finish your drink?"

"Suddenly, I feel ashamed to."

"What?" Hideki spun on his back foot and watched as Katsuya somberly retreated down the hall. "Was it something I said?"

"No. Not at all. I just remembered something an old fool once told me."

He hadn't even bothered to remove the clothes from his body. Shoes and all, he just toppled onto the musty, old cot and lay there for quite some time, glasses on the small desk beside him, and he stared at the ceiling. His arms were crossed behind his head, sinking into the stiff pillow from underneath. Katsuya was not very comfortable with sleeping in an unknown environment, but, nevertheless, he knew that it was about business and that he would just have to deal with it.

Even then, he couldn't understand why he couldn't bring himself to call his brother and Maya, like he had promised. He hadn't even called Ellen back, and he truly _did_ want to hear what it was that seemed so urgent with her. But, for some odd reason, he felt inclined to avoid all of them. His cell phone had been off for hours and he wasn't positive how many missed calls there were waiting.

The more he thought about it now, the more he could admit how strangely he was acting towards everyone, regardless of whether or not they saw it for themselves. Because he was…and he _knew_ it. He hadn't quite recovered after the defeat of Nyarlathotep. Something was missing from his life, but what, he did not know. _Everything is back to the same as it always was. What could __**possibly**__ be so different now?_ Was it the experience? The lost love? Even the defeat of brotherhood? He cared about his newfound friends, but he knew that he was always on the sidelines. They would never feel the same about their companionship as he did.

And that's what caused the sudden change. Tired of being the only rational person who sacrificed everything and insisted on taking risks, Katsuya Suou lit his first cigarette in…God knows how long…and pulled that old bottle of Angel Trigger down from the back of the cabinet, where his brother couldn't find it.

_A closet drinker. Is that what I am? Surely the force doesn't realize it, that much I know, but how much of my time do I __**actually**__ spend drinking my nights away?_ He turned over, ashamed of himself. _Is that why I'm trying to get away from everyone now? That's a…pitiful excuse._ Yes. Yes it was. Relishing in his own pain and misfortune. _Is that __**really**__ the word I'm looking for?_ Even if he wasn't, what other word could there be? No other civilized person could spend their time wallowing and actually _enjoy_ it.

"I've got to get some sleep," he murmured, forcing the despicable thoughts from his mind. "What's past is past. I shouldn't trouble myself over it any longer. I need to come to terms that nothing is ever going to change that. Besides, I need to be up early for the investigation tomorrow."

And, as he had thought so miserably before, early was _too_ early. And it wasn't like he had slept very well at all. But, then again, he couldn't remember the last good night sleep he had had since all the mess began—Joker curse and all. Now, things were just simply getting worse, so it wasn't as though he was losing out on much. He swore he had only dozed off for fifteen minutes before Hideki shook the bedside, telling him that the station had just received an urgent call regarding the ruins and that they would have to leave earlier than expected.

Groggily sitting up, Katsuya shot a sideways glance to the clock that read 5:34 on it. _Gah…too early…_ He was tempted to crash back down onto the pillow, but Hideki insisted that he hurry and that there was no time for quick showers or breakfast. "A car will be here shortly to escort us."

"I'll…be up in a minute," Katsuya told him, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Just give me some time to focus."

"Don't take up too much of it. I'll be waiting out on the porch." And off he went.

The young detective stayed that way for five minutes longer before forcing himself to look back at the clock that mocked him with 5:39 on it.

"Geez," he shook his head. "I should be used to this, but I didn't sleep at all last night. Must've been the mattress…" _Or my constant thoughts dipped in depression._ Swinging his legs over the bed, he staggered to his feet, grabbing his glasses on the way, and moved towards the door.

Once he was in the hallway, he tried to find the bathroom, his vision still blurry and he found himself blinking more times in a second than was normal. Shuffling down the hall, he felt for the doorknob that he assumed was the bathroom and opened it. _Nope. It's a closet._ Shutting it, he turned and reached for another handle, twisted it, and pulled back. _Here we go._

Katsuya moved his hand along the wall, searching for the light switch, and his eyes screamed in agony once he did. Shielding his injured orbs with his other hand, he fell against the sink, turned the handle, and began to splash cold water on his face as he set his red spectacles off to the side. He bent down, enjoying the coldness against his face, and, all for a moment, he forgot about his troubles.

Looking up into the mirror, Katsuya saw the unkempt monster that was his hair and he brought his hand away from the water, using it to smooth his bangs back into place so that he looked _somewhat _decent for his arrival. _The moment I get back, I'm taking a hot shower. I look like a nightmare._ Ten minutes later, he found halfhearted satisfaction with his appearance and turned the water off. He laid the glasses along the bridge of his nose and the backside of his ears, sweeping his bangs across his face in a timid manner. _I still look like a wreck._

This prompted him to dust off his suit as well as he could, and he stooped down to clean the dirt and scuffs from his shoes. It would have to do for now, he figured, and he turned off the light as he exited the bathroom. Katsuya felt slightly better, though still very tired, and walked out the door where Hideki was waiting.

It was a chilly morning and the sun had not even risen yet. Being in the middle of October, it wasn't surprising. The young detective craned his head heavenwards to gaze at the stars.

"It's cold," he murmured as Hideki handed him a thermos. Katsuya looked down at it, hesitantly taking it. "What's this?"

"Coffee," the older man replied. "I figured you'd need it. I made it just before I woke you. Thought it would be better than the beer anyway." Turning away from the brunette, he asked, "So, how did you sleep?"

"Eh," Katsuya fumbled with the thermos. "J-Just fine, thanks." _He may begin to ask questions if I told him that I slept badly…_

"That's good."

Katsuya realized that the older officer was wearing a thick wool jacket and had begun to tug it closer to him. It was then that the younger wished he had brought something himself. He hadn't imagined that it would be so cold in Lunarvale. He looked out to the deserted street where nothing but a streetlamp across from them was visible, along with Hideki's dim and almost pale porch light. Flies and moths were fluttering around it, landing on the warming bulb.

Glancing out into the dark street again, Katsuya turned his head to both sides of the street, where nothing approaching could be seen. Almost shivering, he wondered how long it would be that they would have to wait.

"When can we expect them to be here?" Katsuya asked, turning towards Hideki.

"Hmm…Shouldn't be long, now. I called them just a moment before you got out here and they were on 100th block."

"How far is that from here?" Katsuya set the thermos down on the porch next to his feet.

"About five minutes."

"Oh."

The young detective turned away, thrusting his hands into his pockets, hoping to warm them. _Frostbite is such a pain._ He felt the urge to move around to keep himself from falling below body temperature. Katsuya slowly began to rise up and down on his toes, teeth chattering, and then he pulled out his hands, folding them over his chest. Then, he began to rub his arms, blowing air from his mouth, and rolled his shoulders back.

"…Are you cold?" Hideki asked, staring at him awkwardly.

"Slightly," Katsuya lied, trying to seem as though he could bear the pain. He hoped the car came soon.

"Where's your jacket?"

"I'm wearing it."

"That thing? That thing couldn't keep you warm in the middle of July." Pulling his gaze away, he mumbled, "Kids…"

Katsuya was _hardly_ a child, but he was too cold and tired to argue. And he was elated when he saw a pair of headlights appear on the horizon. He stooped down to pick up the thermos, and brusquely walked off the porch steps and down the driveway where the car rolled off to the side, parking on Hideki's dying lawn.

The older officer followed afterwards, and Katsuya was already in the car by the time the elder arrived. The young detective was pulling the lid off of the thermos and thriving upon the steam that was emitting from the hot, dark contents inside. Once comfortable, he pulled his seatbelt over his shoulder and watched as Hideki did the same.

"Nice morning, huh?" the driving officer remarked as soon as the old man shut the door.

"Cold as always," Hideki replied. "How are you this morning, Hoshi?"

"Fine, fine." Hoshi pulled out of neutral and began down the road. "How's your apprentice?"

Katsuya was slightly offended. "My name is Detective Suou of the Violent Crimes Divi—"

"They know who you are," Hideki cut him off.

Clamping his mouth shut, Katsuya concentrated on drinking his coffee.

"The ruins are only a few minutes away from Hideki's place," the officer in shotgun explained to the youngest man as they continued down the road, passing streetlamps every few yards. It certainly _was_ deserted.

"I see," Katsuya nodded, sipping from the thermos. "Who else will be there?"

"Just the investigation team," the man shrugged. "I believe that one other detective will be there as well. You may want to talk with her before conducting your own research. Sakamoto already informed her of your arrival."

"All right." Peering over his red spectacles, he asked, "Where, exactly, will we be searching?"

"Wherever you feel necessary. This is _your_ ballgame, Detective. I trust Sakamoto's judgment of you."

_So that's how it is, eh? The chief is certainly laying this all into my lap pretty hard. What is he looking for, anyway?_

"And the call?" Katsuya inquired. "What was that about?"

"Someone called us about strange sightings at the ruins. We're not sure what the entire situation is, yet, but the detective will have all the answers to your questions."

"I see."

Nothing else was said, so Katsuya turned his eyes to the window and to the black sky. Even though the car heater was on, he still could feel the morning's chill creeping up on him. The stars were slowly disappearing, and the slightest glimpse of light was appearing on the eastern end of the horizon. Other than that, there was nothing—not even a car had appeared for several minutes now. _That's awkward…Shouldn't people be getting ready for work? Or…is this…?_

"Have the people been driven out from this end of the town? That's what Chief Sakamoto said in the report."

"Yes," Hoshi replied, not bothering to turn his head around. "You won't see very many people on this end because of the suspicious and almost horrific activity that has been happening here."

"What…do you mean?" Katsuya was fully attentive now. _Horrific?_

"Well…It all started four years ago. Bodies were turning up in this area—buried—all around the ruins. It was the strangest thing that I ever saw. The bodies looked as though they had never been human at all. They were shriveled, the blood had been drained from their bodies, along with all other fluids, and their skin color had changed completely to brown."

"It wasn't from being buried?"

"No. When the coroners tried to clean the bodies, the skin would not change back to its natural color. There was no reason for it and certainly no leads. That's when the residents on this side of the city began to clear out. I'm sure you've heard of the IC case."

"Indeed I have," Katsuya agreed. "Do you think that all of those murders were related to it? I know that the IC killings all began here, but I thought that the police had tied those to the Joker cases from Sumaru."

"Looking back, I think it's safe to say that they _were_ a part of the IC case," Hideki cut in. "I never moved to make sure of that ultimately."

Katsuya blinked. "Were you…the one who originally was assigned to those cases?"

Even in the dim light from frequent streetlamps, the young detective could see the pain flash across the older man's face, as though he had struck a nerve.

"…Yes," he replied after quite some time. "My partner…he and I were on the case."

Katsuya seemed oblivious as to why the older man would be so troubled talking about it. So he pressed on, "And? What did you find out?"

Suddenly, he realized that the entire car had grown quiet, and he knew then that the subject was touchy. _Guess I asked something that I shouldn't have…_

"Nothing," Hideki said. It wasn't a sharp reply, but it wasn't a tender one, either. He obviously wanted to get off the topic at hand. "Just a bunch of dead bodies. There were no leads, no apparent motives, and no suspects. Just the same MO and the same area."

"That's all?"

Hideki was losing patience, as Katsuya could tell. And he was almost hesitant to go on, but he had _always_ had a bad habit of asking too many questions. "Yes. That's all. Several months later, the killings spread, the MO intensified, and the carvings began."

"Carvings?"

"I thought you knew about this case."

Katsuya could hear the intake of breaths from the other two officers. "I do…somewhat. I was never assigned to it, and nothing like this has ever happened in Sumaru, so I'm not familiar with the details."

Hideki sat back in his seat, folding his arms over his chest. "I'll fax you the report some time, then."

And for a final question, the young detective asked, "And what of your partner?"

"Oh no…" he heard Hoshi whisper, as though the ultimate blow had been landed. Still, Katsuya _had_ to know. This case was beginning to intrigue him. _No leads? No suspects? Not even a motive? How can this…I mean, I __**knew**__ about the case before, but I never looked into it. This is serious…_

Hideki looked uncomfortable, and Katsuya was _sure_ he was going to spit something about the "fifth degree," but was surprised when the older man replied, "He…he was investigating the murders and pushed his luck a little too far. He was victim number six."

Katsuya sat in the seat, stunned. Never had he expected a reply such as that. Now, he was sorry for ever asking. "I…I…"

"Save your apologies. That was four years ago."

The young detective turned away, remembering how it felt when Togashi had died. _You never…get over something like that…_

Still, he couldn't help himself. "I'm sorry I brought it up."

"Don't worry about it. No one else ever does."

\/\/\/

The smallest tint of blue, surrounded by pink and orange swirls of clouds, was upon the police team by the time Katsuya's squad arrived. The car parked itself outside of the ruins and Katsuya stepped outside of the car, leaving the empty thermos in his seat. He looked up, the rising sun still too dim to force him to close his eyes, and he noted that the chill was slightly less fierce. However, it was easier to see, and that was all that matter.

The only sounds he could hear were coming from the fifteen or so officers surrounding the area, taking notes, observing things, and talking to each other. _Even the animals sense danger. Perhaps it's too early to make assumptions, but not even the birds in the sky dare fly this way…_ Whatever it was, Katsuya had begun to feel uneasy. Whether it was his own gut feeling or his Persona resonance, it didn't make him feel any better.

The mouth of the ruins was sealed shut by a concrete wall and caution tape lined the outside wall, as though something terrible had happened there recently. No one was even near the entrance, as though an invisible force had kept everyone back. The surroundings were old, just like he expected ruins to be, with crumbling, earthen walls, damaged cement, and weeds springing up everywhere—even in the cracks of the rocky floor. Tangled vines moved all along the walls and even over the door frame and Katsuya couldn't tell where one began and where one ended.

He was curious to know what lay inside and he stared a while longer at the mouth of the ruins.

"Detective Suou?" He was forced from his alternate reality and spun his head around to meet the stern eyes of a young woman wearing a long, tan overcoat and maroon gloves over her hands. In her possession was a clipboard, used to take notes, and she brushed the strands of her soft black hair from her eyes. Shaking her head, her ponytail bobbed with her, and she regained her concentration. "My name is Detective Akira Yonuta from the Lunarvale police department. I understand that you're the transferred officer from Sumaru?"

"Yes," Katsuya affirmed. "Chief Sakamoto sent me here to assist you. May I ask what's going on at this time?"

She held out her clipboard for him to see. "Nothing unusual—which is the way it's been for the past few years. We get calls here and there, but by the time we arrive on scene, anything interesting to see is gone. Last time, we got a call from one of the few residents that still lives on this side of town, and he said he saw glowing lights from within the ruins."

"Have your men been inside the ruins?"

"Yes. Searched from head to toe, but found nothing out of the ordinary. It's very strange."

"And what was the call for today's session?"

"More glowing lights and strange noises."

"Was it from the same person who called before?"

Akira shook her head, her hair swaying back and forth again. Her eyes became concerned and less stiff as when she had first approached Katsuya. "No. It was from an old lady several blocks from here. Even from such a distance, she said she could see streams of light shooting up into the sky. When she rushed outside to take a look, she said she could hear screaming and whistling."

Katsuya rubbed his chin. _This is very strange, indeed._ "I see. Do you think this may be connected to the IC cases that have been occurring in this area for the past four years?"

"To be truthfully honest, it's been about three years and two months since we last had a body found here. Since then, it's just been strange things emitting from the ruins, so we've shut them down. Still…no one knows what goes on inside there, and the police have found nothing suspicious."

"Is there any footage of any of this taking place?"

"No. Whatever is causing it, it seems to know that we're watching it, so nothing happens while we stand on guard. The moment we take our eyes away from it, that's when something happens."

Katsuya mused for a moment. "So…strange noises and lights…no footage…nothing suspicious inside…may or may not be linked to the IC killings." He nodded again. "This is very odd."

"I've done just about all I could," she admitted, tiredly. "I've been here since three, so I'm going to turn the investigation over to you. Despite the fact that you look slightly younger than me, I'll trust Sakamoto's judgment and let you handle the rest." Katsuya frowned on that last part. _She doesn't look any older than me. In fact, she looks about my age. Weird coincidence. Anyway, there's no time to waste, and I'd really like to see what's inside those ruins…_

"Very well, then," he bowed slightly. "I'll let you go. Leave it to me to take care of the rest."

"Thank you," she said, smiling halfheartedly. "I'm sorry that I don't have much to report. It's been this way for as long as I can remember. I'd like to say that this new call may lead to something different, but it's always the same result." She patted him on the shoulder before walking away from him. "Happy hunting, Detective."

She gave a slight wave as she brushed past him and he watched her walk towards a car, where an overweight police officer opened a door for her and she slid in. Katsuya pried his eyes away, feeling less comfortable than what he had on the drive over. _I can already tell what kind of a day it's going to be._ He sighed heavily and gave another glance around the outside of the ruins.

Police officers had already begun to tear down old caution tape that had suffered severe weather damage and hang up new tape around the area. Others were looking around, rubbing their chins or scratching their heads in musing. Several others from different branches of the police department were squatted down upon the ground, running their plastic gloved fingers across dirt and rocks, as though evidence would suddenly spring up to them.

Others were talking to each other, some about the matter at hand and the rest conversing about something completely off topic, like what plans they had for that weekend, or how they spent their days off. Katsuya wanted to roll his eyes. _It's one thing to be doing something. It's another to stand around and act important. It seems that I won't be doing much trying to talk to them._

Even Hideki and Hoshi had retreated to the car, and Katsuya could care less about what they were talking about. _It's no use. If I want something done right, I will have to do it myself._ Though he wanted to groan on the outside, he actually felt relieved deep down. Somehow, the young detective knew that he didn't fit in with this crowd, and they had inattentively told him so. If he got out and did things on his own, perhaps they would view him in a different light.

…Or his discomfort would vanish.

Either way, Katsuya knew that all the answers lay inside of the ruins and no one, but him, was going to be capable enough to handle it. Again, he looked around, this time to see if anyone would notice or miss him. When he realized that no one had even realized that he was in the premises, he shoved his hands into his pockets, turned, and walked toward the ruins.

He looked back, cautiously, as his hand wandered to the concrete wall blockading the mouth of the ruins. _It's sealed shut. It would be too suspicious if I blew it open with my Persona. What am I going to do?_ It was times like these that he wished that he had the assistance of his friends…even Baofu…unfortunately. Creating a diversion was not a one man job, but there had to be _some_ way into the ruins.

Katsuya whirled around, eyed a police officer walking by, and asked, "Excuse me, isn't there any way into the ruins? I thought that Detective Yonuta said that her men searched it from head to toe. Why would there be any need to seal it?"

"Because," the well-built officer began, "the lightings and the noises grew so intense, we figured if we sealed it, whatever it was inside would eventually die down. Looks like that didn't work too well."

Katsuya quirked an eyebrow. "That's contradictory. You say that there are reports that claim the sightings of mysterious lights, yet you have the entire cave sealed up. May I ask _how_ civilians are able to see those lights?"

The officer shrugged. "Beats me. That had the Detective fooled, too. She figured that the lights were pouring out through the cracks of that cement wall." He looked beyond Katsuya and pointed to it. "See it? That wall doesn't sit straight. Cracks are visible all over the place."

"That shouldn't make a difference," the young detective argued. "From what I've been told so far, those rays of light are tremendous in power, blinding those who are able to see it. The only rational explanation for that is…" _Is what, Katsuya? That…that the lightings are occurring __**outside**__ the ruins? But by whom? And with such power? _"…the lightings are taking place outside the ruins."

Katsuya almost growled when the officer began to laugh at him.

"_Outside,_ Detective? Good one. And who would be the one causing it? A wizard, I'm sure."

"I'm being serious," Katsuya retorted, his eyes narrowing. _What a narrow-minded fool! He __**obviously**__ lacks knowledge of Persona Users—__**if**__ that's what's causing these happenings._ "Anything is possible at this point, wouldn't you agree? It's already an interesting concept that half of the city has evacuated and that these bizarre murders are happening. To top it all off, you haven't even a _clue_ as to what's going on here. Do you _really_ find it funny, now?"

But to the young man's dismay, the officer continued to chuckle. He turned away from Katsuya and said, "Whatever you say, Detective. Yes, it's already an odd thing about the murders and the citizens, but that's all normal stuff. This light thing, that's not so normal. But with something that powerful, how on earth could it occur outside and have no trace? Aliens? Is that your solution?"

Katsuya was losing his patience. "All right! Say that the lights _did_ come from inside the ruins. What difference does that make? You _still_ can't find anything inside!"

Again, the officer shrugged. "It makes more sense for it to be inside than outside." It must've been the look on Katsuya's face because he quickly added, "Look, I'm not saying you're wrong or stupid or anything. All I'm saying is that these are bright, bright lights! You'd think firecrackers or arson or something, but when we get down here, it's always nothing—Nada. Don't you think it would be more realistic for anything to be happening _inside_ the ruins instead of outside? Some secret laboratory, searchlights, you know, things like that."

Katsuya stared at him, skeptically. _Where does he get weird ideas like that? Movies?_ "Nevertheless, I'd like to explore the ruins myself."

"Then be my guest," the officer laughed. "You may be the detective on this team, but I doubt there's an officer here who'd follow you down into those ruins. It has everyone spooked."

Katsuya froze, insulted by his words. "W-What are you saying! Detective Yonuta informed me that she has sent her men down there before! From then until now, _what_ would've changed during that time period?"

"Face it, Detective," the other man snorted, folding his arms over his chest. "We know about you. You're a rookie. You really have no idea what goes on in our jurisdiction, do you? I'd trust my life in the hands of Detective Yonuta any day than in the hands of some outsider from Sumaru."

The younger man couldn't believe what was being said to him. He blinked behind his trademark glasses frantically, trying to comprehend everything that was being said. He couldn't believe it. He absolutely could _not_ believe it. He had been given _strict_ orders by Chief Sakamoto himself, and the officers had the gull to _ignore_ those orders?

_Fine. So __**that's**__ how it's going to be. I don't need the police officers to find out what's going on in those ruins. I'll just do it myself._

"Very well, officer," Katsuya nodded. "Now, for the last time, how do I get into those ruins?"

Chuckling again, the man replied, "Persistent, eh? Okay, I'll have the men remove the wall for you with our crane. But that's as far as we're going, Detective. Mark my words."

_I'd like to mark your face up with my Persona,_ Katsuya thought, bitterly. "Whatever it takes. Tell the men to remove the slab in front of the ruins."

It didn't take long, really. The men removed the slab, as promised, within several minutes. It took about twenty of them, one crane, several guiding and others instructing. The slab was set off to one side as the young Detective remained a spectator in the crowd, watching with anticipation as to what could possibly be inside. When all was silent, everyone stepped back.

Katsuya stood in front of the mouth of the ruins, staring into the darkness below. It reeked of limestone…and maybe something else. A set of stairs vaguely formed at the ground's end, but vanished into the depths below, as though swallowed by whatever it was that was lurking from within. He couldn't hear anything, but that didn't ease his mind. The point was that _something_ had scared off the citizens in Lunarvale, thus _something_ had to be in the ruins.

"Still intending to go in there, Detective?" the officer from earlier laughed. "I'm telling you, rookie Detectives should watch the checks they write that their butts can't cash."

This prompted several snickers from around the circle of officers.

"I'm not asking you to join me," Katsuya spat back, though he tried to keep his tone even. "Your orders are to remain here and watch for suspicious activity. Is that understood, officer?"

The officer paused a moment, a smile still plastered on his face, and then said, "You got it. We'll be watching from here. Take it easy now, right?"

Katsuya looked around for Hoshi and Hideki. _Wouldn't __**they**__ be useful in taming this stubborn crowd? But I don't see them anywhere… _He growled. _I don't need them. I'm a Persona User! If worst comes to worst, I can fall back on that._

Swallowing a bit, Katsuya garnered enough courage to venture into the abyss below. Balling his fists, he lifted one leg after another and found himself descending down the steps into the ruins.

_This isn't so bad. What's a little dark, anyway?_ The thought reflecting in his mind, Katsuya whipped up an idea. _Right, I have a small flashlight on my key ring. It should be enough to get me through here._ He stopped, placing his right leg on the step below his left, and began to dig in his coat pocket.

"Don't tell me you're getting cold feet already, Detective!" the same officer who had been harassing him called out from above. "Remember! The deal's still on!"

"What deal?" Katsuya whispered to himself, diverting his gaze from his pocket for a moment to stare at the top of the steps. "The flashlight should be…" He flipped through the keys for a moment longer. _Aha! Found it…_

"Hey…" Katsuya heard one of the officers speak. "You hear that creaking noise inside?"

There was silence between the officers for a moment longer and Katsuya paused too. Indeed, there was a soft groan coming from somewhere inside the ruins. He inattentively held his hand on the butt of his pistol, ready to withdraw it.

"Yeah," another officer concurred. "What do you think it is?"

_What's in this place, anyway?_ Katsuya slowly panned his head around in the darkness. He grunted in frustration. Suddenly, the noise became louder.

"Woah! Woah! What do you think it is! A monster!"

"What if it's the IC killer!"

"What seems to be the trouble, men!" That was Hideki's voice. Katsuya spun around to look back up at the opening of the ruins. The larger man pushed his way to the front and gazed into the ruins. "Who's in there?"

"It's Suou, sir," the officer to the right of him informed.

_Where the heck has __**he**__ been all of this time?_ Katsuya frowned. _Did he __**not**__ see a crowd of us remove the slab and me walk in? Shows how much attention __**he**__ pays._

"Suou?" Hideki exclaimed. Katsuya could hear his abrupt intake of breath. "Suou! What are you doing in there? I order you to come out of there at once!" Then, stepping towards the stairs, "Don't you know how dangerous that place is? You can't just rush in there without consultation from me!"

"S-Sir!" The creaking exacerbated into a large crash and the officer grabbed Hideki's arm. "Pull back, sir! The ground is breaking!"

Hideki slightly resisted, but another officer took hold of his free hand. "Suou! You hear that! Get out of there, _now!_"

Katsuya made no effort to move, but turned his head to stare at the ground. _Is this irony? I feel a Persona resonance here. Could it be…coincidence…?_

"_Suou!_"

"Huh?"

The detective found his thoughts to be broken too late as the weight of his body was jolted downward, and the foundation that held his balance crumbled and gave away. There was a loud eruption and stone and rocks rained from the ceiling of the ruins. Shielding his eyes with his arms, Katsuya attempted to protect himself as best he could while the world around him fell. When at last he was forced to join the collapsing cavern, his cry echoed in the ears of all the officers above.

\/\/\/

_It's times like these I thank the stars I'm a Persona User._ Katsuya was huddled against the wall of the ruins, fumbling with his flashlight, which now had a rather large crack in the glass. He hit the side of it a few times, but the light would never be as bright as it had once been. The detective cursed and sat there, unmoving, for a few minutes.

When he had fallen, the only thing that saved him was his Persona. It wasn't an _unimaginable _outcome. After all, that was how Baofu had been saved so long ago. Landing without injury, Katsuya had curled into a ball until the dust and rocks had cleared and he was able to stop his coughing.

_What did I get myself into now?_ The entire roof above him was caved in and looked as though it was going to collapse again at any given time. If he was planning on making an exit, it would have to be soon. Shaking the flashlight one more time, Katsuya found only partial satisfaction with the lighting in the room and pushed himself to his feet using the wall behind him for support.

Finally getting the chance to become acquainted with his surroundings, Katsuya looked around, shining the light as he observed, and adjusted his dirty glasses with his other hand.

"Where am I?" he asked to no one in particular.

The corridor behind him was completely blocked with debris and the thin pathway ahead gave only one direct course. He'd have to move forwards, but the distance seemed to be far and not in any familiar direction that would lead him back to the surface. Besides, he had grown comfortable with his small sanction of light. If it gave out now, he wasn't sure _what_ he'd do. He shifted his weight to one leg. "Not even my Persona could blast through this chunk of rock. Besides, the entire cave would collapse if I tried. Forward it is, I suppose."

Turning around, he followed the tunnel down to wherever it led to. The groaning noises from before were gone, and silence was becoming his closest friend aside from the darkness. Still, Katsuya trudged on, ignoring the fact that the air was growing thin and somewhat heated. He looked to his watch.

"It's stopped," he observed. "Must've hit something during the fall."

But the watch looked unscathed. Perhaps the battery died? _Unlikely. It's a new battery. So why has my watch stopped?_

_ "I think it's time you find out the truth of the matter."_

Katsuya halted in his tracks. His eyes looked ahead, horrified, and his mouth fell agape. "W-What was that?" he whispered to himself, using the flashlight to illuminate a large cavern at the end of the corridor. "No…_Who_ was that?"

His flashlight suddenly caught the shimmer of a rod iron torch, unlit as it was, and there were five around the room as he spun in a slow circle.

"It would be much easier to see if I could light them with a match." Katsuya reached into his pocket to withdraw his small book of matches that he used for his cigarettes, but one close look at the torches made him realize that the distance between him and them was too much. "It's too high for someone like me to reach. Now what can I do?"

He stopped to think a moment, continuing to hold the flashlight upon the figure of the torch. _It would be a great feat to be able to shoot fire up there._ Then it hit him._ Huh…? Hey…wait…_ Katsuya scolded himself for his absentmindedness. Lowering the flashlight, the detective prepared himself, holding his arm outstretched with his palm facing the torch in front of him.

"Persona!" he summoned. A blue light enveloped him and energy elevated upwards as another body escaped from the luminance. There was a long whistle when the form of Hyperion materialized, fire playing at its fingertips. The Persona reared back its arm, the fire intensifying in its hands, and released it like a baseball towards the torch. The rod iron capsule trapped the flame, igniting all those around the room.

Katsuya stood still, lowering his arm and using his thumb to flip the switch of his flashlight, burning out the light for conservation purposes.

"That was easy," he mumbled to himself. Then he looked up.

His mouth fell agape to the beautiful surroundings of the cavern walls. Painted onto them were drawings of different historic events. He recognized a few. One drawing underneath an iron rod torch was the picture of Philemon's chambers with, whom he surmised was, Philemon in the middle. He turned his head to see another drawing of a large monster.

"Nyarlathotep," Katsuya said, trailing the long, black tentacles with his eyes.

There were other drawings, such as a large eye, similar to one he remembered seeing above Tatsuya Sudou's bed, a golden butterfly, and the last one was a shape that he did not quite know. There was a large circle with a pentagon inside of it. In the middle of the pentagon was a black diamond or crystal, as it appeared.

"I wonder what this one means…" Katsuya took another moment to stare at all of the markings on the wall.

_"The more appropriate question would be to ask me what they __**all**__ mean."_

Startled by the voice, Katsuya spun in a complete circle, quickly withdrawing his gun and aiming it in front of himself.

"Who's there?" he shouted, though his voice was shaky.

_"The time for you to know that is not now. There is much to be discussed, and our meeting can not be idly spent."_

Slowly coming back to his senses and realizing that the voice which spoke to him was not hostile, Katsuya placed his gun back into its holster.

"So then, what exactly do you want?" the detective asked. "Why am I here? Did you lure me here?" Still, the voice did not come with a materialized body. The Persona User looked heavenward, listening to the voice echo overhead. It was an unfamiliar voice that beheld elegance and articulation within his words.

_"Well, I cannot lie. I have called all Persona Users from this city here. However, there doesn't seem to be any remaining."_

"How can that be…?" Katsuya mumbled to himself. "Persona Users should be found all over. Is Lunarvale an exception?" Then he shook his head. "No, no, what am I thinking? Mr. Nanjo and Ms. Kirishima both came from Lunarvale. As far as I know, it's one of the first cities that began to beget Persona Users."

_"Indeed. In that case, something must be blocking my call."_

"Blocking?" Katsuya blinked. "Wait…_you're_ the one who has been causing all the panic in the city! The lights and noises are all from you?"

_"Ah, you catch on fast. Yes, that is me. When the people of the city began to search these ruins, they couldn't find anything. Why do you think that is?"_

Katsuya crossed his arms and looked to the markings on the wall. _Philemon's chamber…Nyarlathotep…That eye…_ "Because none of them were Persona Users. They can't see you."

_"Exactly. You are different. You were able to come here, despite the barrier that restrains my calling, and meet me."_

"Then what was blocking you? Was it the rock that sealed the ruins?"

_"No. It was __**him.**__"_

_ Him?_ Katsuya pondered. _Nyarlathotep?_

_ "However, it does not matter now. You are here and that is all that matters."_

Katsuya's eyes were still on the drawings. "What are these? Are these paintings what you wanted to show me?"

_"I couldn't help but notice that you've recognized more than one of these markings. You're familiar with Nyarlathotep?"_

The detective slightly twitched. Then he relaxed. "Yes. My…My friends and I…Four months ago…"

_"I see. So you are a part of __**those**__ Persona Users. I'm honored to have met you. So I suppose that this means you know Philemon as well…"_

Katsuya looked up to the ceiling again. "You mean…you're not Philemon?"

_"No. Philemon and I are completely different."_

Katsuya said nothing, almost hoping to hear more, but found himself to be disappointed when the voice did not offer up anymore information. "And the eye? What about that?"

_"The eye of Nyarlathotep…It is not hard to forget."_

"I see," the detective rubbed his chin. "So…This cave is meant for historic purposes. Thoughts from 'This Side' and the 'Other Side.' I should have known…"

"_Our time grows shorter. Come…walk forward awhile and talk with me."_

One by one the lights began to dim. Katsuya stood in the middle of the room, watching, until only one torch remained.

_"Embrace the darkness. Trust your instincts. If you falter, you can always go back."_

"But if I go back, what will I have learned?" the detective argued.

He heard the voice chuckle. _"See you on the 'Other Side,' then…"_

The last light blew out and Katsuya was left alone in the darkness. He stood there, slowly understanding the silence, and lifted his leg to move. _Not even my flashlight? What is this guy thinking?_ His pace was slow, and he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck rise with his nervousness. He almost panicked as a bead of sweat trailed down the side of his face. _All right, Katsuya, this is where it really counts. Keep your cool and you can do this._

Though not quite convinced himself, the detective attempted to garner courage and walk in a straight line. His memory was foggy and he wasn't exactly sure where he was going or where the exit had been when he first entered the room, but he tried to keep a mental image of what he had earlier seen in order to make an accurate decision. _Or assumption._

Still, he kept moving, holding his arms out in front of them to keep from running into anything. He stumbled once, but caught his balance, luckily for him. He doubled over, inhaling, and forced himself to try again.

"Am I going to hit anything?" he called out. However, there was no one to answer him. _Gods…I'm getting sick. What if something jumps out? A monster? A __**killer?**_

The last thought made him gurgle and he pulled back one hand to hold it over his mouth. He stopped for a moment to listen to the sound of his breathing. It was quickening. _I'm having a hard time breathing. Where am I going, anyway?_ Rising to the challenge for a third time, he plodded forward, hands outstretched in front of him once more. He dared not move faster than what he was comfortable with, but thoughts continued to prod him from behind. He had never been secure with the dark, despite his occupation, and often made sure that he would never have to go without having some kind of light. It was just the protection he took as a police officer.

His knees began to lock from moving too slow, and he bent over to try and rub the numbness from them. _I'm concentrating too much on what __**might**__ be lurking in the darkness. Just because I think it's there doesn't mean that it is. I must keep calm._ He rolled his eyes. _Easier said than done, Katsuya._

Only after taking a few steps did he come into contact with the wall. He grunted. Sliding his hand along it, he realized that it continued on ahead of him. _Therefore, I must be in another tunnel. How far must I go?_ Hugging the wall with his body, Katsuya concentrated on keeping his breathing even. He hated the idea of something getting the jump on him before he could react, but if he relied on wit, he was sure that he could successfully gain a pre-emptive strike before the enemy could do anything.

After he felt more comfortable with being in the darkness did he quicken his walk, but he would not let go of the wall. Though the air was heavy from being underground, the detective tried to ignore his discomfort and pressed on. It was only after the wall ended that he began to panic again. He jumped back, waving his arms about, and found that he was choking. _The air…it's so musty…It's almost like it's all dissipating. No…No! If that happens!_

There was a sudden groan from behind him and Katsuya reached for his gun in a quick fright. Simultaneously, several growls came from all around him. Swallowing, the detective was failing at keeping himself together. _I can't see them…There are monsters all around me and I can't see them…! I have no choice. I must use my Persona._

"Monsters…" he mumbled. "Only figures that they would be in here with me…"

_ "Embrace the darkness. Only then will my lair become open to you…"_

"You there!" Katsuya called out. "I need help! The monsters…!"

_"Do the monsters…disturb you? These nightmares…you can't live without them…"_

Katsuya was relieved, but also a bit wary, when the growls died down. _Is it just my imagination, or are the monsters really gone?_

Unable to think upon the subject any longer, the Persona User realized that his air supply was weakening. He choked, reached for his neck, and looked heavenward into the everlasting darkness.

"I can't breathe in here! I'll suffocate if I can't get some air!"

_"What is the natural human instinct to do? Survive. Find the air."_

"How can I find what isn't visible?" Katsuya mumbled. Unexpectedly, he felt a draft coming towards him. "A current…? But…That wasn't there before…"

_"Thoughts become reality…here on the 'Other Side…'"_

"The 'Other Side…'" the detective repeated. "But…I'm not really on the 'Other Side,' am I?"

Still…the air was real, and the current hadn't been there before. The monsters were also gone, and that fact left the detective perplexed. Slowly coming back to mind, Katsuya remembered Tatsuya mentioning that thoughts and dreams had become reality on the "Other Side," such as rumors became reality on "This Side."

"This is absurd," he muttered. "Are you trying to test me?"

Though there was no answer, Katsuya started to move in the direction of the air current. He could feel his body relax and he inhaled as deeply as his lungs would let him. The more he breathed in, the faster he walked, although he wasn't quite sure of where he was going. He hit a wall and his hands immediately began to search for the crack that was allowing the draft.

It wasn't hard to find over the rough surface of the cavern wall, and he held his hand over it once he had. He could feel a muddy substance upon the palm of his hands, but it didn't bother him. The air was pure, as though it had come from the top of a mountain peak or after a fresh rainfall. It was unpolluted and untainted. The sound of the traveling air was like a current—a song, really—that just lulled him to sleep.

_"Are you satisfied?"_

It was hard, but the Persona User had to force himself to stay awake. There were still so many things he had to know. Now was the time to ask those questions.

"No." Katsuya shook his head, released his hold on the wall, and spun around, shouting into the darkness, "No, I'm _not_ satisfied. What's this all supposed to prove? That I can't see? Yes, that's true. One can't see in the dark. One must have a clear mind in order to fend off monsters. One has to have air to survive. But what's that have to do with thoughts becoming reality? If this was a test, it was a poorly constructed one."

_"You have a sharp wit. The small test I have just given you wasn't intended to be physically hard. Though you have passed that test, you have failed to find the true meaning."_

Katsuya quirked an eyebrow. "F-Failed? What do you mean by that?"

There was a quick luminance that fed throughout the room like wildfire. Katsuya watched as the darkness around him faded and he found that he was traveling amongst the stars. Jumping back a bit from the fright, he was confused when he realized that there was still a sturdy foundation beneath him._ But the stars are all floating as though we really __**are**__ in space. What's going on here?_

He was distracted by a growing structure in the center of the room. It didn't take long for him to recognize the golden pillars and checkerboard floor in the center of a large gazebo. The stars moved around Philemon's chamber with such grace, it seemed almost tranquil—as though no other part of the world existed. Only the time of here and now.

As he had expected, there was a butterfly fluttering about in the center of the tiled floor, the emblem of a larger butterfly painted in the center. Breathing a sigh of relief to see his old friend, Katsuya moved across his sturdy floor to Philemon's chamber.

"Philemon…What's going on? What can you tell—"

The detective stopped short in his tracks.

_"You know, silver is just like gold except for that its color has been sucked clean away, dulling its beauty and leaving it worthless when compared to gold."_

As his words spoke true, a silver butterfly hovered in the air of Philemon's chambers, the dust it was flapping from its wings raining down upon the floor.

"Who are you?" Katsuya asked.

_"You are not ready to know. You've proven that to me by the way you performed in my test."_

"What gives you the right to think that way?" the detective spat. "Why am I here?"

_"To learn what you most desire. Even if you don't know you want to learn it yet."_

Katsuya stared at the butterfly for a long while, words not quite forming the way he wanted them to. He gaped for a moment longer, but could only manage a weak, "What?"

_"As you have already guessed, I am not Philemon. As for my identity, it's not yet important. What's important is that you learn what it is that I have brought you here for. So, I will tell you."_ The butterfly continued to flutter a bit longer until it finally took off into the air, soaring above Katsuya, all the while of raining silver dust, until it reached the top of the gazebo. _"My test was to prove something to you. It was a simple test to walk in the dark without the need of light. But what made it so important? Simple. Your human thoughts and fears are what complicated the test. Is that not so?"_

Katsuya's eyes lowered to the tiled floor in embarrassment. It _had_ been true. In the end, the test had been simple. Nothing had attacked him, nor had anything bad happened to him.

_"__**You**__ were the one who thought that the air had disappeared, which is why it did in the first place. You were the one who imagined the growls of the monsters from all around the room. __**You**__ were the one who made yourself sick with uncomfortable thoughts, and __**you**__ were the one who had to cling to the wall for support because you could not stand the idea of running into something in the dark."_

"But what does it all prove?" Katsuya asked. "Besides the fact that I failed your test, what was I supposed to gain?"

_"Knowledge,"_ the butterfly answered. _"Simple knowledge. If you are able to see through the lie which is darkness, perhaps, you could see through the lie which is friendship."_

"What?" the detective blinked. "I understand how the darkness is a lie because of how we humans build it up to be something more terrible than it already is, but how does that create a lie with friendship?"

The butterfly did not answer right away. It remained at the top of the gazebo, still fluttering. _"You still don't get it. Well, perhaps I can show you what I mean…"_

Katsuya stepped back as something materialized on the ground. He stared at it, scrutinizing its very form. His eyes widened when he realized that it was the form of a human. No…a woman.

"That's…Ms. Amano…" he breathed, "…from on the 'Other Side.'"

_"Yes. That is her."_

Katsuya continued to stare at her unmoving form, cold as it looked, and it made his own body cold. _There's even blood all over the floor. This must be the scene from right after she died._ "Why…Why are you showing me this?"

_"Think of __**why**__ 'This Side' was created. What makes it so crucial to have 'This Side' saved more than the 'Other Side,' Persona User? Yet, what keeps the two sides the same?"_

"I'm not…understanding…" Katsuya held his hand over his glasses, trying hard not to stare at Maya's dead form any longer. "I really don't see the point in all of this or what Ms. Amano's death has to do with anything."

_"You sound upset. Do you not want to learn the truth?"_

"That's not it," Katsuya calmly argued, though his hand was fidgeting. "I just don't know what any of this is about."

The butterfly continued to fly wordlessly overhead. Katsuya turned his head at last, the sight of seeing her dead making him ill and aggravated.

_"I see…I understand that this may have been a bit too much."_ The body and blood suddenly disappeared, but something was left behind. It sparkled underneath the light of the silver butterfly.

Katsuya's face scrunched up as he slowly moved towards it and bent down, hand grazing the surface of the sparkling object.

"It's a necklace," he observed. "Its shape…it's that of the marking I saw in the first room."

_"The pentagon with the crystal, yes. It's very important to know this shape."_

Katsuya grabbed the necklace and stood up. "I don't understand any of this. Ms. Amano's death, this necklace, who you are, and what it has to do with the two sides of our universe. What _does_ it have to do with anything, anyway?"

The butterfly appeared to be thinking, and its small body began to lower from the roof of the gazebo. _"Maybe…Maybe you __**couldn't**__ understand…After all…I don't know if you could think anything bad about __**him.**__"_

"Who?" Katsuya asked. "Who do you mean?"

_"The two people who keep these sides in existence. Who are they? And if the 'Other Side' is tattered, what would destroy 'This Side,' then? These are thoughts you __**must**__ keep in mind in order to avoid any repeat of tragedy."_ Katsuya's attention was diverted when the necklace in his hand disappeared. Startled, he jumped back. The butterfly was circling back up to the top of the gazebo again. _"He is coming. You cannot stay any longer. I'm sorry that I could not tell you what you wanted to know. But…perhaps…you will think about my words and come to a conclusion of your own. If you finally understand what I am trying to tell you, Persona User, come and see me again. The Crystal Survivor will show you the way…"_

"What? Wait!" Katsuya thrust a hand to the sky. "Tell me what you mean!"

_"With one-hundred murders residing here, darkness earns Eurynome's new home—receives Erinyes' reverse reality; Rhea, you play our game."_

"What…?" the detective forced out. "What on earth does that mean…?"

_"Farewell."_

"Wait! _Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaait!_"

\/\/\/

When Katsuya came to, he was in a new tunnel, one in which he could not move forward or back. He tried to find a crack in the wall, and fell to all fours, clawing at the dirt. Scrambling to his feet, he rushed toward the other wall, throwing his body against it. He became heavily depressed when he merely bounced off and fell to the ground. For several minutes he repeated the process, refusing to give up. Now, he sat in the middle of the small tunnel, huddled against the cavern wall.

After the thought of escaping faded, his mind wheeled in reverse back to what had just happened. There were many things he could not even begin to understand. The Crystal Survivor, the silver butterfly, Philemon's absence…Some part of him wished to know while the other half of him did not.

"I failed the test?" he mumbled to himself. "And what was he babbling on about with one-hundred murders and some kind of game?" He turned to look at one of the walls barricading him. "And…Ms. Amano's death. How does that…" Shaking his head furiously, he forced himself to his feet.

"I've got to get out of here," he said to no one in particular. "I'll be able to figure all of this out once I do." Katsuya moved forward and leaned against the barricading wall before him. He used all of his body weight to move the mass boulder, in hopes of crumbling it at its middle, but it was to no avail. _If it didn't work before, why would it work now? Idiot…_

"Is there anyone out there!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "Anyone!" Pounding on the wall, Katsuya grunted. "Hideki! Hoshi! Anyone!" _I can't just give up! I just __**can't!**_

Rearing back his fist, he thrust it against the wall again, eyebrows furrowing and teeth grinding together. _My life is flashing before my very eyes. If I can't get out of here…_

"Hello! Is there anyone out there!"

He kicked at the wall twice, and then looked towards the ground, shoulders slumped.

"And my Persona…" He stepped back. "My Persona couldn't break through something like this. And…even if it _could…_the whole cavern would collapse on top of me." Katsuya looked away and brusquely moved to the other side, disappointed to see the same unyielding wall there, too.

He lightly beat a balled fist against it before giving up again and sitting back down, pulling his knees up to his chest. Cursing under his breath, Katsuya could almost taste bitter defeat, though it wasn't in his best intention to concur to it just yet. He could not break through the mountain. That was a fact. Being miles underground certainly had its limitations, and the young detective was just beginning to realize them.

Thousands of thoughts began to run through his mind, like Tatsuya, his work, and…

"What's supposed to happen to Tatsuya?" he asked himself, desperately. "What's he supposed to do without me? I know he's a strong kid, but he truly knows nothing about being an adult. He can't work _and_ go to school…" _Maybe Ms. Amano will take him in. I know she would. But then that means that the possibility of those two…getting together…well…I suppose that's all right with me. After all, my brother is a good man and I think she'd be wonderful for him._ He sank even deeper into depression. _Not that that's what I want, but…if I'm going to die here anyway, I can't really disagree __**too**__ much._

Katsuya looked up to the ceiling of the cavern. "And my colleagues…Well, I know they'll get on fine without me, and perhaps Sakamoto can use Hideki's testimony about my death to find out what's going on." Then he began to chuckle. "At least the mystery about these ruins has been solved." He twiddled his thumbs to keep himself optimistic. Katsuya quit when he found that the gesture wasn't working.

_He can protect her,_ he thought miserably. _Even though he doesn't know her on "This Side," I know that he'll protect her. She'll take good care of him, too._ Wiping at his eyes, Katsuya's mind reeled even further backwards to all of the unfinished things he had to do. Even to all the things he had _wanted_ to do. "I can't die here," he whispered. "Not after all of this. I have to find out what that voice was talking about. If I die…"

He was blown off his feet as a thunderous explosion deafened him and he was hurled to his stomach. Holding his arms above his head, he could feel the rush of the wind ride by him, carrying rocks and boulders along the way. Katsuya tried to press his body closer to the ground to avoid being hit by any loose gravel, and held his head in between his arms even tighter. His jacket rippled against his back, hitting him like a whip, and he struggled to keep still.

He was hit once or twice by large rocks, but ignored the pain the best he could until the whirling torrent softened and the dust had settled. Katsuya coughed a bit and lifted his head once he figured it was safe. Sand and dirt rained from his hair and he opened his eyes slowly to see that his glasses had become impossible to see out of. Pulling himself into a sitting position, he took them off and wiped them with the end of his jacket, which was also covered in dust. His ears stung from the fierce wind and began to ring. He lightly tapped them to help ease the pain. Katsuya coughed again and placed his glasses back onto his face, catching the sights of his dirty palms from out of the corner of his eye.

Raking a hand through his hair, he could feel particles of small rocks and other grime in it. He sighed a bit, but was relieved to know that he wasn't dead. Whirling his head around, Katsuya saw a large hole where the unmovable boulder had once been. He coughed again, attempting to stifle it with one hand, and waited for the air to become less dense with dust.

"Yo! Someone in here?" came a voice from outside.

"Y-Yes…!" the detective coughed, unable to register the gender or age of the voice right away. The fact that he could hear someone else was completely amazing. He wasn't sure whether or not he should laugh or cry. "Yes, someone is here!"

He watched as the silhouette of a human wandered in slowly, then used a hand to wave away all of the dust.

"Man, you don't know how happy I am to hear a voice!" the other person exclaimed. "I've been stuck in this cave for hours!"

"S-Same here…" Katsuya replied, using one hand to steady himself against the wall while he stood. "The cave collapsed on me." Suddenly, the detective quirked an eyebrow. "Wait a minute…how did you blast your way through here? And…weren't you worried that the cavern would've caved in on you?"

_Hold on a second…Is this…Persona Resonance?_

"There's a large cavern beyond this little tunnel you've made into your home, dude. The cave wouldn't have collapsed so easily at that point. There's an entrance on the other side there, but I can't blast through it by myself." The dust cleared enough for Katsuya to see the man. He was of African descent with short, black hair and several piercings in his left ear. On his head was a pair of dark sunglasses that seemed to be used for only show, concluded from the flashy flames painted on each stem. He wore a thin, red sweater with a light yellow shirt underneath that read "No Fear" on it, and baggy, blue jeans. On his hands were gloves cut off at the fingertips. More flashy things, Katsuya figured. The man was no older than twenty or twenty-one. "As for how I was able to do it in the first place, well…you should know. You're one, too, man."

"A Persona User," Katsuya nodded. "I understand. Then you met _him_ as well, right?"

The other man's eyebrows lifted and he stared at the detective, baffled. "What're you talking about? I ain't met nobody. I've just been stuck in this cave is all." Abruptly, something seemed to hit him as he snapped his fingers and a large grin cracked at his lips. "Say, you ain't that detective everyone's been talking about, are you?"

Katsuya paused. _They're already talking about me? I haven't been in here __**that**__ long, have I?_ "Well…maybe. Did they mention a 'Katsuya Suou,' in that case?"

"Dude, I _knew_ it was you just by looking at you!" the man was so excited with his new find, he had evidently forgotten about his unfortunate predicament. "Everyone's been looking for you, and then they declared you dead last week!"

"D-Dead!" Katsuya flinched, drawing his arms back. "What do you mean by _that!_"

"It's true," he urged. "It's been all over since last week. They were trying to look for you, too, but they couldn't break through the rocks that fell when the cave collapsed the first time. I guess they spent all day on it, but figured that there was no way you could've lived through it. I mean, man, it was **collapsed!**" When he saw the look on Katsuya's face, the man hastily said, "Look! I ain't lying about this! I'm serious!"

"I'm not saying that you're a liar, mister…uh…"

"Just call me Mark for now," the man said.

"All right…Mark…What I'm saying is that I've only been in these ruins for a few hours, _maybe,_ today. No longer than that, I'm sure."

Mark chuckled. "You know, strange things happen to us Persona Users. For some odd reason, my watch stopped."

"What?" Katsuya pulled his hand up to stare at his own watch. "Mine stopped, too. It's…" He halted in mid sentence when he saw that the hands were moving. "It…It's working again."

Eyes widening, Mark glanced at his own watch. "Well, I'll be damned. So is mine!"

"It's the work of that voice," Katsuya mumbled. "So _that_ explains it! Time _has_ gone on without us!"

"Man, I don't know what voice you're talking about, but this place is giving me the creeps. Let's just get out of here!"

Pulled back to reality, the detective shook his head to clear his thoughts and quickly agreed. "Yes, of course. Would you be so kind as to show me where the rock is? Perhaps we can use a fusion that will break the wall completely."

"Now _that's_ what _I'm_ talking about!" Mark turned and retreated back through the hole that his Persona had created. "Let's get out of here and find out what's going on. Hey, then you can tell me more about this voice man of yours."

It sounded like an absurd plan, but Katsuya couldn't argue with it. Nothing made any sense as it was, anyway. He was impressed with Mark's Persona skill and wondered how it was that he could use it so freely. _Almost as though his experience is much greater than that of a normal Persona User. Perhaps he has been one for a long time…_

Their fusion, Blazing Hell, was strong enough to blast the rock before them into thousands of pieces. Both pairs of eyes from the men were blinded at the first sight of sunlight and Katsuya had to turn his head while Mark pulled down his glasses. It was all so amazing. The hole led out into the open, though it was out further than anywhere Katsuya recognized. The detective was silently grateful. If Mark hadn't been around, he would have most probably died. If there hadn't been a crumbling wall in the center of the huge cavern, the odds of them _both_ living was just as small.

"Shaman," Mark laughed, "you never fail to impress me." Standing out in the middle of the open, he outstretched his arms and heavily sighed. "Free at last!"

He wanted to stay composed, but Katsuya could not restrain himself and his excitement. Throwing himself out of the hole, he grabbed the nearest tree, made sure it was real, and threw his arms around it. "I will never, _ever _do something like that again…"

"Yes you will," Mark joked from behind him. "We Persona Users got no choice but to become involved. You, yourself, were in there for a reason." Then, after a quick pause, he added, "I know this place. We're down the street from the police station."

"Really?" Katsuya whirled his head around, releasing his grip from the tree.

"Yeah," Mark nodded. "We're in that park where the Augustus Tree grows." At the detective's puzzled face, the other man waved his hand, "Never mind. I used to get into trouble a lot when I lived here. I know this part of town like the back of my hand."

"How far are we from the police station?"

Slightly tilting his head upwards, Mark gave a quick reconnaissance of the area and clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "I'd say…probably three or four blocks. About a seven to ten minute walk if there's no traffic."

"Then let's get started," Katsuya said. "If it's true about what you said, you may have been missing more than just a few hours yourself."

Giving a sudden grimace, Mark meekly said, "Uh…right…"

Taking a few steps, Katsuya whirled around to face Mark. "You know, something's been bothering me since I met you."

"Yeah?"

"If the entrance to the ruins had collapsed, how did **you** get lost in there?"

Mark flashed a smile. "Man, there are some back entrances to the ruins that not many people know about. It's just…I was really unfortunate when I went through one of them and it collapsed on me. But, hey! Didn't the same thing happen to you? Maybe it's not a coincidence after all!"

Katsuya didn't know _what_ to think.

\/\/\/

"Inaba!" one guard cried when Katsuya and Mark entered through the double doors of the police station. The guard ran around from behind his desk and immediately began to check Mark over. "You've been missing for six days! We just changed the 'missing person's report that's been filed for you, too!'"

"Six days?" the youngest man quirked an eyebrow and his mouth fell agape. He looked back at Katsuya, who was equally surprised. "Uh, what did you change it to?" _That means that I've been missing for about a week and three days. That's not good…I wonder if my friends and brother back home have been informed…?_

"Well, there was the probability that you hadn't survived…"

"What!"

"Yeah," the guard concurred. "We notified your mother and she didn't take the news very well…"

"You told her I was dead!" Mark bellowed. "You don't know how easily traumatized she gets!"

"Well…" the guard diverted his attention for his own safety, it appeared. "There wasn't much I could do…I mean, you _were_ pronounced dead and all…And…I know she called your friends up and told them…"

"M-Mary!" Mark screeched, his voice becoming high pitched and almost incoherent. "She told…Mary!"

The guard took a moment to look over Mark's shoulder and he gave another cry when he saw the form of Katsuya Suou standing there.

"D-Detective Suou! Y-You're alive!"

"I am," Katsuya agreed, nodding. "I'm under the impression that I've been missing for quite some time, is that right?"

"Missing!" The guard moved from a speechless Mark to the detective. "It's more than that, sir. We filed the papers that you were dead last week. The Chief in Sumaru took the matter pretty hard, as did the rest of your colleagues. They were planning on having a memorial service for you the day after tomorrow."

"What…?" It was Katsuya's turn to become frantic.

"Hideki had those men search for you all night the day of the cave-in. They still can't clear the rocks and debris. It's like…an entire mountain was transformed from those ruins. There was no way you could've survived…" Suddenly becoming confused, the guard cocked his head to one side and asked, "Actually…how _did_ you survive, detective?"

Katsuya ignored the question. "So…so they really _did_ tell Tatsuya that I was dead?"

The guard looked slightly uncomfortable for having to be in the heat of the spotlight. He directed his eyes away from Katsuya's and his lips twitched. "Getting that cleared up might be the best thing for you right now, sir." Shrugging, he added, "All things considered, you've got a lot of explaining to do."

\/\/\/

Congratulations. You've just read about twenty-five pages of pure trauma.

I made it that long to make up for all the time that poor Katsu's missed out on. Hope you can forgive me. So, how was it? Please RnR. Reviews make me happy (flames don't, though.).

Mysterious Loser


	6. Just Can't Cope

**Disclaimer:** Yeah, I still don't own Persona.

**A/N:** Yes, it's been a while. Persona 4 has come out, and we continue on with the P series (BUT I STILL HEART THE FIRST THREE THE BESTEST!). My chapters just seem to get longer and longer. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this one.

**\/\/\/**

**Dance to the Waltz**

**Chapter Six**

**Just Can't Cope**

**\/\/\/**

Hero closed the door behind him softly and silently padded out into the open living room. He stared at a distraught Maya, who was lying on her side on the couch belonging to the Suous, biting her thumb. He gave a small sigh and shook his head. Glancing over to the clock on the wall, he realized the time as 11:46. After about four hours, he had finally calmed the two anguished people within the household.

After he had awoken at seven thirty-four earlier that night, he had gotten up to comfort himself with a cool glass of water from the faucet. It wasn't long before the phone in his rather large house began to ring and he had moved over to it to glance at the caller ID. _Amano Maya_ was what it had read and he recognized the older woman's cell phone number across the screen.

He picked up the phone, unready for what was coming next, and was instantly welcomed to a panicking woman who couldn't help but scream into the receiver. Her voice cracked and it wasn't hard to realize that she was crying. Someone she knew had died, he had gotten that much, but when Tatsuya's name came up, he knew that it was even more serious than he had speculated.

"Stay there," he told her and jumped into his car immediately afterwards. He was amazed that he hadn't been pulled over with the speed he was going at, racing from Narumi ward to Konan, and he flew up the steps of her apartment complex until he was standing at her front door, exhausted.

Maya had thrown herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably, and he stood there, for what seemed to be an hour, just holding her shaking body. It was there that he had gotten the full story after she was able to talk, but she couldn't stop crying. Tatsuya's brother, Katsuya, had been on his mission in Lunarvale when the ruins he was exploring collapsed on him. No body had been found from what the police had said, but he had been pronounced dead a week later because of the severe cave-in.

He asked how Tatsuya was and she attempted to tell him of his breakdown while keeping herself together. After that, Hero suggested a drive to the Suou residence and was hardly able to get useful directions from a sobbing Maya. When the duo arrived, Maya's story seemed to be less than equivalent to the reaction of Tatsuya. Several worried residents were out in the hallway, listening to the screaming and the violent thrashings from within. Tatsuya wouldn't open the door and Hero had to kick it nearly off its hinges to get inside. The apartment was nearly torn apart by the blazing teenager, who could not contain himself at all in front of the two. Maya, though she tried, was not much help in resolving the situation, and she broke down to cry again.

At a loss for regaining everyone's bearings, Hero did as best he could to pry the katana away from a devastated Tatsuya, and was forced to leave Maya to herself for a while. After a bit of persuasion and kind talking…well, for the _most_ part, the teenager dropped the sword and fell into crying against the shoulder of the other man. _He seems like a kid who never loses his composure. He must be taking Katsuya's death pretty hard._

Hero stayed with the boy for quite a long time until Tatsuya finally fell asleep on his unmade bed, cheeks and eyes still swollen. Now that the tantrum was over, Hero wiped at the teen's face, and crept out of the room. He stood above a quietly crying Maya, who had been left alone the entire time.

"He's asleep," Hero despondently announced. "It took a while, but I was able to calm him down and get the sword away from him." When Maya said nothing and continued to stare straight ahead at the wall across the room, he cleared his throat, unsure of what he _could_ say. Finally, he managed, "Maya…I'm so sorry."

"I can't believe it…" her voice was a hoarse whisper. He almost couldn't hear her, but was somehow able to.

Hero looked away and then sat down on the couch next to her feet. "I know…" he replied, though he wasn't sure why he had said it. He did not know the man nor had he known the relationships between Tatsuya, Maya, and Katsuya. All he knew was that his friends were destroyed by the news and had he and Maya arrived moments later, Tatsuya would have done the unthinkable.

He turned and reached out to gently rub one of her naked toes. When she had gotten around to taking off her boots and socks, he wasn't quite sure. She did not flinch or pull back, so he continued the motion in order to comfort her. She was much easier to console than Tatsuya had been.

Tatsuya's rage was frightening, and, given the opportune moment, his anger could be put to dangerous use both to others and himself. Hero had expected it when Tatsuya began to throw various objects at him and swing his sword about. Persuasion and kind talking hadn't _quite_ worked as well as Hero had hoped at first, and, though it was a despicable thing to do, was forced to use his Persona to help lull the boy into a drowsy state.

After that, it was a little easier to convince Tatsuya to drop the sword. Though Tatsuya could not restrain himself after that, the Persona's spell took its effect after some time and the teenager fell asleep on the bed. Hero knew he would kick himself later for his lack of conscience, but he could not abandon Maya. Besides, Tatsuya would be much easier to deal with after the realization of his brother's death had sunk in.

"Maya…I know this is going to be hard for you…" he gently told her, standing up, "…but you have to be strong for Tatsuya's sake. Think about how this must be affecting him."

"I know," she said and began to wipe the tears from her eyes. "It's just…he meant a lot to me, too." She struggled to sit up and placed her feet on the floor. Hero could see her red eyes and swollen cheeks. Her hair was in disarray and her clothes wrinkled and stained with tears.

He put an arm around her shoulder and she leaned in, trying hard not to cry again.

"I'm sure he did. I know you wouldn't have cried as hard as you have had that not been true." Hero was tired and found that he was running out of reassuring things to say. _It's almost midnight. I have to figure out what I'm going to do with these two. I can't leave them alone after all of this._

As though she had been reading his thoughts, he heard a quick gasp from her and she pulled back, staring at the clock on the wall. "Oh, it's almost midnight!" Whirling her head around to look at him, she said, "I'm sorry, Hero. You must have a meeting or something in the morning. And here I dragged you into this…" She was silenced by his hands on both sides of her shoulders. He was smiling.

"If the issue bothered me, do you honestly think I would've stayed?" She gazed at him, mouth agape, and he smiled. "Do you think I would've come over at all had I minded?"

"N-No…" she said.

"There, then." He dropped his arms to his side. "I think it's best if we let Tatsuya sleep for now. How about you?"

"I…" Maya's eyes fell to the floor and her hands clasped together. "I'm not sure. I don't want to go home just yet. Ulala will be worried about me, but after all of this…" Wiping at her eyes again, she said, "I just need some time to calm down."

Hero could see tears brimming at her eyes again and he nodded in understanding. "Take as much time as you want, Maya. That's why I'm here." He held his hand out to her. "If you'd like, I can call Ulala for you and let her know that you're here."

"No, that's all right." Maya returned to her recumbent position on the couch. "If _you_ talk to her, she might think something's going on between us, and you have no idea how badly she'd overreact to that. And…" she buried her head into the cushion, "I don't want her to know about Katsuya. Not yet."

"All right." Although Hero was hesitant to, he turned his back towards her and walked to the adjoining kitchen. "Would you like something to eat?"

"No," came her muffled response.

"Some tea, then?"

There was a short pause before Maya finally whispered, "No thanks."

"Very well," he smiled weakly, trying to stay strong for her. "I've decided that I will stay here with you two tonight. We can figure out what to do tomorrow morning, Maya. Is that fine with you?"

"…Yeah…"

Crossing back into the front room, Hero turned and wandered down to the end of the hall. Easily locating what seemed to be the closet, he opened it and recognized several blankets in the corner. He grabbed a handful in his arms, turned, and used his foot to close the door. Traveling to the front room again, he dropped the blankets beside the couch, keeping one large wool blanket in his arm.

"Here you are," he said and draped the blanket over her shivering form. "There's a pillow from the couch beside you."

Without looking up, Maya's arm reached back to grab the pillow and stuffed it under her head. She said nothing afterwards. Giving a soft sigh of depression, Hero glanced back to the clock. It was after midnight now.

"I'll take the floor, then," he told her, but knew that she was no longer listening. He laid a blanket out for himself and grabbed another pillow from the couch, tossing it to the floor. "I'm going to make sure everything is all right before I lay down myself." He stopped talking and completely focused on Maya's unmoving form. "Are you sure you don't need anything?"

"…Yes."

Turning, Hero slowly moved to the wall and flipped off the light switch, rendering the entire room dark. His mind aimed to peek once more into Tatsuya's room, but Maya's voice halted him.

"Hero?"

"Yes, Maya?" he asked, looking back around the corner.

"Thank you."

Her head remained underneath her blanket, but he could almost imagine her face, calming down at least for the night. He offered up one more smile before responding, "Good night, Maya."

\/\/\/

He was soaring through a green mist, following a golden butterfly that was gently fluttering ahead. He wasn't sure who else was with him, but he knew that he was definitely there. Here, he felt weightless—almost like a cloud. He wasn't flying, but he wasn't falling either. He was spiraling, it seemed, down into the darkness. The glow of the butterfly was disappearing, and he almost felt tempted to cry out to it.

Only…his voice was gone.

Circling past him slowly was a rather large Grandfather clock. What one was doing all the way out here was questionable. However, the chime _was_ real. The _tick tock tick tock_ resounded in his ears like his watch often did when he would perch his chin in the palm of his hand. His eyes diverted to another smaller clock rotating towards him. It was strange, really. Time seemed to have stopped wherever this place was.

When the clock disappeared, some small writing—no, numbers, appeared before him. It was an arithmetic equation, like Einstein's formula, or the degree for a right triangle—something like that. Either way, he could not grasp the meaning long enough before the numbers shattered into thousands of pieces. In its place swirled a DNA helix, uncommon for such a place.

Beyond its position was a wooden door. He found his body was moving closer to the opening door and he was thrown into the darkness of a strange world. Below him was a large checkerboard floor with the silhouette of a suited man in the center. He wasn't sure if the man was waiting for _him,_ but it made him uncomfortable nonetheless.

He landed without weight and without injury, as though his entire body had become a gossamer petal or feather drifting in the wind. The sound of his shoes clicking against the tile was the only sound he heard for quite some time. Before him stood a man wearing a white butterfly mask and a gray suit. He was a rather tall man with broad shoulders and a thick chest. His black hair was tied and his hands were linked behind his back. When the man spoke at last, his voice was booming and very hospitable.

"Welcome. My name is Philemon." Philemon held out one hand, "I live between the world of consciousness…" then he held out the other, "…and unconsciousness." Placing his arms behind his back again, he said, "So tell me. Who are you?"

He thought about it for a moment._ Who am I? Until this point, I'm not sure I really remember. Before this point, who was I?_ His eyes turned downwards to stare at the emblem on his gray school uniform. _…That's right. I remember now._

"Hero," the boy answered. "My name is Hero."

Philemon seemed pleased with the answer. Brightly, he replied, "Excellent. There are not many who know their own identity when they have come to this point. It seems you have passed the first test."

Hero quirked an eyebrow. _Test? What test?_

"By the way," Philemon began again, as though he had forgotten something very important, "have you noticed you carry more than one 'you' in yourself?" He sternly pointed to Hero, who could do nothing more but take a step backwards.

"M-Me?" the boy asked. "I have another 'me' in myself?"

Nodding, Philemon said, "Perhaps, the merciful 'you,' the graceful angel 'you,' or the cruel, demonic 'you.' We live behind many masks and you, at this moment, may be living behind many masks." Hero's eyes turned downcast. _But aren't these all just parts of me? What makes them so special?_ "But you claimed your name," Philemon interrupted his thoughts, "_proving_ you know who you really are. I admire your strong will and bestow my power unto you." Hero watched as Philemon held out his right hand, palm face up, and a glowing ball slowly grew in the middle.

"W-What?" Hero breathed, realizing that there was a small monster within the crystal orb.

"Persona," Philemon explained, "the power to call on others within you. Sometimes merciful, sometimes cruel. These selves are embedded deep within your soul. This power will help you through your quest into the future."

Hero stared at the other man, confused. _Quest? Power? A Persona? What does this…?_

"Go back now into your world—the world that's trapped between time and space."

"Wait," Hero stepped forward, as though he meant to grab something. "Philemon! What is it that you mean? What is this power that you call Persona? What can I—"

Philemon was gone.

\/\/\/

Jerking his body upwards in a cold sweat, Hero found himself shaking and screaming for air. He coughed a bit and doubled over, his bangs touching the blanket he had wrapped around himself.

_It's just another dream…Nothing but another dream…_

Feeling his chest heave, Hero drew in deep breaths and held his hand to his pounding heart. Sweat ran between his fingertips and he used his other hand to wipe a bead of it from his chin. _Where am I?_ His eyes were scanning the darkness in a hopeless desperation to find the name of his location. _What happened?_

He caught a streak of moonlight on the opposite wall. He saw a familiar clock upon it. Several scattered thoughts ran rampant in his mind, colliding with one another until he finally shook his head to clear the dizziness from within it. _Suou…Maya…dead…_

"I know now," he whispered and raked a hand through his damp hair. Turning his head to see if he had startled Maya awake during his nightmare, he said, "Maya? You awa—" Maya wasn't there.

_What? Where did she go?_ A sudden panic ran through Hero's mind and he could feel his heart race faster. _Tatsuya…is he okay? That sleeping spell probably wore off by now. If he's awoken and remembers…_ Throwing back his covers, Hero jumped to his feet, clad in a black tank top and gray sweats that he had found in Tatsuya's dresser drawer.

Slowly creeping to the entrance of the hallway, Hero looked for the light underneath the bathroom door. There wasn't any. _Maya…?_ Hurrying to the front door, he checked it, feeling along the doorknob and the chain above it. _The door's locked, so she hasn't gone outside._ Whirling around, he silently padded to the hallway again and hesitantly ventured down it.

His eyes were on Tatsuya's door, but it was still shut, like he had left it last. A dark figure seemed to materialize out of the corner of his eye, and his eyes darted to the left. Katsuya's door was open and a small woman was lingering in the doorframe. Closing his eyes, Hero forced himself to breathe, accompanied by a sigh of relief, and shortened the space between him and Maya.

"Maya, why are you standing here? It's late."

She said nothing. She only continued to stare into the room. Giving a small smile, he placed a hand on her shoulder. He was surprised when he felt her instantly reach up to grab it with her small fingers.

"He's really gone…isn't he?" she asked after a short while.

Hero blew air out from his lips. "Yeah," he said. "He is."

She began to cry again.

\/\/\/

Ulala lay awake in her bed until about eight o' clock the next morning. She hadn't slept at all the entire night, overwhelmed by all of the various happenings throughout the previous day. Baofu had fired her, he didn't want to see her anymore, and Maya hadn't come home at all. The fiery redhead wasn't exactly _worried_ about Maya. She was leaning more on the verge of upset. She had called the other girl's cell phone at least ten times to find out where she was. _She's probably out with her new boyfriend. Typical Maya not to call me and let me know that she's all right._

Sometimes, Maya could be a huge pain in the neck.

And Ulala had sincerely wanted someone to talk to after she had come home. Maya had always held that position, but now that she had a new love interest, it didn't seem that anything was going to change between them. _And she complains about Baofu and me. She's such a hypocrite._ But her feelings for Maya were not genuine; Baofu was the catalyst of all of her anger.

He had always been a hard one to figure out, that Baofu, ever since they had met him at 2X Slash in Aoba and got better acquainted with him in Parabellum. There were so many sides to the man and it was hard to tell which was the real Baofu. It turned out that none of Baofu was the real Baofu. "Baofu" was just a cover up for his real Persona, Karou Saga. He wasn't always such a cold, heartless man, Ulala found out. Ever since his partner (and lover, as the redhead figured) had died, nothing was ever the same.

And Ulala had _tried_ to see through him. She had _tried_ to see past the hurt and the anger that was Baofu and realize the good in him. She wanted to believe that there was a person in him, deep down, screaming for help and comfort. Ulala was willing to give those things to him, oddly as she had found. She was even willing to die for him.

_What a crazy thought that is. That man…He's different from anyone else I've ever known, and I __**do**__ want to know him better, but I think it's almost impossible…_

He probably wasn't interested anyway. That was just the way he was. Besides, it wasn't uncommon for Ulala to be attracted to the many men she came into contact with. She had liked Katsuya at one point, and his little brother wasn't bad to look at either. And Nate was rich _and_ handsome, after all. But, in the end, she kept reeling back to Baofu. Why she did, Ulala Serizawa would never know. She wondered if it was because she was up to the challenge of trying to get him to notice her. Anything to make him come out of his bitter and hard shell.

But now he had fired her. She just couldn't believe it. After all she had done and after all she wanted to do, he had fired her. No notice, no warning, just fired. She cursed his name and turned over in her bed. The very thought of him now churned her stomach in a rather uncomfortable way. She _did_ want to know why. Ulala _wanted_ to know what she had done wrong that had been so terrible in order to make him fire her. Now she had no connections to him. Everything was gone.

Unable to stand reality any longer, she reached across her small dresser next to her bed and grabbed her cell phone. _Screw it. I'm calling him. He owes me at __**least**__ an explanation…_ His phone was ringing. She suddenly felt uneasy about calling him. What would he do? Would he hang up? Would he yell at her? Her palms were sweaty.

_"Hello?"_ came his raspy voice over the other line.

"Baofu," Ulala quickly began, not even bothering to let him know who was speaking on the phone. _He probably already knows._ "You and I need to talk."

There was a heavy sigh on the other end of the line and he replied, _"I disagree."_

"Baofu!" she screamed into the phone, sitting up in her bed. "You _fired_ me! For what reason, I haven't a _clue!_ How can you just up and do something like that! I mean…"

_"Serizawa…"_ he seemed extremely annoyed by this point. _"Now isn't the best time to be calling me about stupid stuff like that. I have other things to do."_

"Now you listen to _me,_ Kaoru Saga, I will _not_ stand to be berated by a self-absorbed, insensitive, ungrateful…"

_"Serizawa, I believe there are other things you should be doing at this point." _Baofu's voice was stern and lacked his usual sardonic tone. That's when Ulala knew that things were serious.

"Baofu?" All anger fled her, "What? What is it? What's wrong?"

_"Is Amano home?"_

Ulala glanced past her open door out into the entryway. "No. She hasn't been home all night. Why?"

_"Then you need to find her. I've a pretty good guess of where she is, too."_

Suddenly, Ulala found herself becoming impatient. Lowering her head to think, trying to grasp the meaning of his words, she finally growled, "What are you talking about, Baofu? What's going on that I should know about?"

_"I'm not sure you should hear it from me."_

"Well, since you're on the phone and you've already upset me, you might as well tell me."

She heard a slight chuckle on his end, but it wasn't to be taken as an amusing moment. _"Don't say I didn't warn you."_ Baofu exhaled, _"I've been wire tapping the police station lately."_

"Huh?" Ulala blinked, her eyes wide and mind jumbled with hundreds of things. "Why would you be wire tapping the police station?"

_"You don't need to worry about that. Only about what I overheard on one of their phone calls."_

Ulala was trying to pretend that she wasn't scared. With an challenging tone, she asked, "Oh, yeah? And what did you find out?"

_"Suou's dead. That's what I found out."_

Ulala dropped the phone and listened to the sound of a resounding _clank._ The next few moments were spent in silence.

\/\/\/

Hero was up long before the other two within the Suou residence were. He had stayed up all night with Maya, and, though he was tired himself, found the strength to pull his body from the makeshift bed on the floor. Maya had only gone to sleep about an hour and a half before and the navy haired boy virtually had received no sleep for himself. Changing back into the clothes he had worn the previous day, he debated about what would be best for the others. _I know I shouldn't leave them like this, but I think the sleep would do them good. I'll only be gone for a little while…_

Quickly making up his mind, he shut the door behind him and wandered down the hall. His car was parked on the backside of the building and he took it to Aoba ward, looking over the scribbled directions Maya had given him to Kuzunoha. He wanted to visit Tammy for just a little while and find out how things were going with the old crew. He felt even worse for not keeping in touch, but he had his own reasons.

There were few cars on the road at a quarter after seven and slightly more at seven-thirty. Aoba wasn't far from Konan ward and the district he was looking for was located along the main street. At least Maya hadn't gotten him _terribly_ lost. There had been _one_ time where she misspelled the name of a street, throwing him off, but it hadn't taken too long to catch on to her mistake.

Overall, Aoba was a nice, little place that seemed a little busier than any other ward. Hero soon found out why when he drove past the gates for Sumaru TV. _So that's what makes this ward so commercialized. I knew there had to be a reason._ Cars were lined along the street in front of it, obviously excluded from the ones that were already beyond the gates, and people were loitering. By the time it was eight o' clock, the streets were becoming crowded. He rolled his eyes as a thought came to him, and he offered a smile to no one in particular as he drove on. From there, it was only another ten minute drive to Kuzunoha.

He was directed to the fifth floor when he got inside and took the elevator up. He slightly fidgeted when the thought of how Tammy would react to seeing him crossed his mind. It was true that the two hadn't been _close_ friends, but he knew her through Tad, who had always been her high school sweetheart, no matter _what_ the two of them said about it. Not to mention, she had somewhat _persuaded _him to join Fencing for his senior year. The class had been having hard times and enrollment was down. He was told by Yuki that he had no backbone when it came to women after he signed up.

Hero hadn't been very good at fencing, especially when put next to Tammy. She was the princess of the class (as Tad had called her, strangely enough to be said coming from him), and won most of their tournaments. However, after all was said and done, he was happy that he had joined. He had learned more about Tammy (**and** Tad, if that was even relevant to the situation at all), fencing, and himself. It made up for what he had lacked in his junior year, and helped put a strain on the ever growing nightmares he was having.

The door was the second on the right, and he walked in holding his breath. When he passed through the boundary that led from the hallway and into the room, he was taken aback by how subtle everything looked…except for the undeniably awkward Lucky Cat statue. _I'll bet putting this there was Tammy's idea._ A large fan was spinning overhead, keeping the temperature fairly cool, and across the room lay another smaller room which led to who knows where.

Cabinets were lined up all along the walls and two cozy looking couches were placed in the middle of the room on each side of a furnished coffee table. Several large pictures hung from the wall, framed and matted, and glass lamps were screwed in beside them. The room was adorned with antiques such as wooden clocks, knickknacks, and a western styled vase inside one of the glass cabinets. A large desk was placed in the far back of the room to the left of the doorway, complete with a computer and several stacks of books and files. Behind the mahogany desk were four more cabinets, two of which were glass, stacked from top to bottom with files. It was a comfortable atmosphere and much cleaner than most offices Hero had been in. _Especially Saeki's._

"Welcome!" came a bright voice. "We take cases of all kinds, from cheating spouses to strange curses!"

Hero's attention whirled around to a short haired woman, who was dressed in a dark suit with a white collar. She brushed part of her brown hair from her eyes and greeted Hero with a big smile. He looked at her, crossed his arms over his chest, and bit down on his bottom lip. _I knew it was her. She still hasn't changed, even from high school._

"Hail Hjördís, how fare the sails on Hermelin's rising?"

Tammy's mouth dropped and her eyelids rolled back so far, Hero was sure that her eyes were going to fall out. Even the color in her cheeks drained, rendering her pale and ill looking.

"Hero Stonefield! Is that _you!_"

"That wasn't how you were supposed to reply," Hero said, ignoring her question entirely. "'I can smell the odor of the monstrous Tad from a thousand leagues away' was always your answer."

"It _is_ you!" She bounded from her corner and threw herself at him, encircling his neck with strong arms. It took all the strength he could garner not to topple over. "You're such a _jerk!_ Everyone's told me that you haven't stayed in touch at _all!_"

"That…may be true…" Hero gently pushed her from off of him, relieved to be able to breathe again. "How have you been, Tammy? I would have never expected to see you here."

"A-_hem._" The two turned to stare at an older man, probably in his late fifties, with a bushy, gray moustache, and a matching colored, receding hairline. He straightened his thick-rimmed glasses and gazed at Hero. "Tammy? You know this man?"

"He's an old friend of mine, Chief." Turning her head back around to Hero, she said, "Hero, this is Chief Todoroki, my boss. Chief," her eyes were back to the other man, "this is Hero Stonefield, a classmate from St. Hermelin."

"It's a pleasure, sir," Hero nodded.

"And a pleasure it is," Todoroki stepped forward to shake Hero's hand, smiling all the while. "You'll be a good distraction from that Tadashi kid."

"Chief!" Tammy scolded lightly. "You'll just have to accept that Tad is just an inhuman sissy. There's nothing that either you or I can do about it."

"Tad, eh?" Hero asked. "Seems like I've missed out on a lot. So, everyone's come this way to Sumaru?"

"Coincidental, huh?" Tammy laughed. "Well, I don't think it is, but, then again, Lunarvale _is_ pretty close. I doubt there's anywhere else the graduating class would even care to go to." She casually slapped his arm, still smiling. "So tell me what's been going on. Where have you been all this time? It _has_ been four years, you know."

"Seems, I'm out of the picture," Todoroki interrupted and then used his hand to wave the two away. "Take a walk with your friend, Tammy."

Tammy gawked at her boss. "But…Chief! It's still early and…"

"We've been slow for the past week anyway. I'll be fine here. Take a walk for a while." Looking from Todoroki to Hero, she shrugged and agreed.

\/\/\/

Baofu was checking over the records and autopsy report before Ulala had called. After he had told her of Katsuya's death, she quickly hung up, saying something about hitching a ride to the Suou residence. He was trying to keep his mind off the issue himself, reading over the papers numerous times. However, things just didn't add up. In fact, nothing added up. Katsuya's death, he speculated, was no accident. Neither was Kazuya Ogasawara's.

After looking at the crime scene photos, Baofu was almost convinced of this theory. Even the amount of damage that Kazuya had sustained was enough to support his logic. Kazuya had been beaten to death, all the internal injuries pointed to that, and outward injuries were too minimal to lead to the decision of a cave-in or an unfortunate miscalculation in footing and balance. _This guy was killed and buried, that much is true, but his body is completely shriveled. How can that be?_

He tapped a finger against his cheek, staring at all of the papers intensely. His glasses were pushed away somewhere on his desk, revealing the rings under his weary eyes. He was beyond exhausted, and giving up wasn't such a terrible idea.

"This is stupid," he mumbled. "All right, so he's been beaten to death, but all of the internal injuries are far worse than the external. He could've been suffocated, but how could that account for all of the internal injuries besides the one on the back of his head?

The X-rays didn't make sense, the autopsy didn't make sense, and, so help him God, the entire _ordeal_ didn't make sense.

And then there was Katsuya…

"Bloody hell, Suou," the tap buster cursed. "You trudge through swampy undersea ruins, climb to the top of the legendary Sumaru Castle, and even save the world from the blasphemous Nyarlathotep, but you can't survive a cave-in? Like hell I believe _that._"

The only reason he had been wire tapping the police station in the first place was because he wanted to make sure that the police wouldn't be able to track the stolen property of the morgue documents to either him or Tatsuya.

But it seemed that those stolen documents weren't the only thing on their minds.

_Suou's dead. He died in a cave-in in Lunarvale._

"What?" Baofu breathed, not quite able to describe the feeling going through his mind at that particular moment. It wasn't true…It wasn't true!

_What? How long ago!_

_They said it's been a little more than a week._

_Why are we just **now** getting news of this! We could've sent our men out there to find them!_

_They already dispatched everyone on the force. He was a special case since he came from outside Lunarvale. Sir…we have to contact his family…_

"The hell are they talking about!" Baofu growled to himself, holding his headphones closer to his ears. "They can't _possibly_ mean Suou! Not that wussy little detective from Sumaru!"

…Can they?

He pounded a fist against his desk, sending papers flying, and threw the headphones from his head, ending the tapping with the police. He grabbed the first bottle of whiskey he saw and went to think about what he had heard.

Why hadn't he told the others?

Why hadn't he contacted Tatsuya to see if he was all right?

Baofu didn't know. He just didn't.

Perhaps he'd regret it later.

Now that he had had the time to calm down, he was back to his research, even more intense than before. He did a lot of thinking. A _lot._

And he wasn't like Serizawa or Amano, who would spend more time freaking out and crying than anything. He couldn't blame them, though. They _were_ women after all.

Now that Baofu really _had_ the time to think things through, trying to replay the death scene of the detective over and over again in his mind, he couldn't put it together properly. None of it made sense. Not one bit.

Baofu went back to the morgue reports.

He really _did_ care that Katsuya was dead, but the documents were important. They, he had thought, were the key to this entire case. Now that he had realized what a dead end it was, he was bitter with himself for being insensitive.

"It won't surprise me if I get chewed out by Maya or Ulala about this one. I guess I can't blame them either. I really _should've_ contacted them when I first found out. Oh well…I'm sure the worst of it is over now." But he couldn't shake that feeling… "What exactly _did_ happen to Katsuya? It really can't be that he _died,_ right?"

He pushed his chair back and stood up.

"Guess I'll have to make a call to the Chief if I want any answers. First, I'll have to find out exactly where Suou went and probably take a trip there myself. It's the only way that I can get a closer look."

_For some reason…I just don't think Katsuya is dead._

…Don't think? Or just don't want to believe?

Baofu grabbed his glasses and slid them onto his face.

"…Suou ain't dead. I _know_ it…"

\/\/\/

"I…I understand…Goodbye, Brad." A shaky hand closed the lid belonging to a cell phone, and set it onto the table next to a black recliner.

Nate Nanjo despondently turned to face the friends he had in the room. Chris Kido, Mary Sonomura, and Ellen Kirishima were all staring at him, apparently knowing that something dreadful was going to soon be exposed. The heir to the Nanjo fortune wasn't quite sure what to say. He didn't know if the truth would be the better option for the moment, or if beating around the bush was a better alternative. The distressed look in Mary's eyes only made him feel worse, as though he were being crushed under the soles belonging to Guido. Or, worse yet, his own _father._

"Nate," the therapist in training whispered, the tone in her voice filled with question, "what did Brad want?"

Nate looked away, his bangs falling into his eyes.

"Look," Chris broke in, "we can already start with the idea that it's not good, so let's just begin there, all right?"

"Easy for _you_ to say," Nate bitterly retorted, unnecessarily bringing a hand up to adjust the glasses on his face. "Lately, all it seems that I do is give bad news."

"Nate…" Mary begged again.

"Fine," he cut her off, shifting his position in the seat. He was trying his best to keep his composure; he hadn't felt this way since Alfred died. Recognizing the same pain, anger, and the bad way he had reacted to it, Nate Nanjo was trying to find a different tactic to be able to be strong for his friends.

Especially Mary. This was going to hurt her like nothing else.

"As you already know, that was Brad on the phone," the rich man breathed. "There…was an accident in Lunarvale, where Mark has been living all of this time…" The tears were there in his throat…no, on the brim of his eyes…! "He was exploring some ruins and was killed in a cave-in."

He could see it…the widening eyes, the slackening jaw, and the paleness in her face…Nate knew it was coming…And he hated himself even more for being the one to smash her pretty smile.

"Gods…!" Ellen quickly grabbed Mary's shoulders, whose hands had fled to her face in disbelief.

Nate wiped at his eyes, gritting his teeth. "They never found his body because the cave-in was so severe. I'm…so sorry…Mary…"

"He was our friend, too, Nate," Ellen reminded him, pulling the other girl into her arms.

"Are you sure this isn't just some kind of misunderstanding?" Chris asked, suddenly getting to his feet. "I mean, this is _Mark_ we're talking about here! We're all Persona Users, ya know. It would be hard to kill him, right?" he glanced around for anyone to agree with his half-brain logic. "Right? Guys?"

Ellen and Nate were just looking sorrowfully at him. Mary took to crying, grasping Ellen's clothes between her small fingers.

"That's not all," Nate whispered, feeling the lump in his throat form even bigger. He wasn't doing well at all with this whole "being strong" thing. His eyes regretfully wandered to Ellen, who returned the gaze. "Detective Suou was in Lunarvale on a business trip. Ellen, I believe you told me this already…" From the look on her face, she didn't like where this was going, "There was a prior cave-in to Mark's, the victim in that case being Detective Suou."

"What!" she screeched, jumping to her feet. She toppled back down when Mary's weight was too much for her petite form to handle. Mary's head snapped up, as though something else had caught her attention. "Nate Nanjo, what in the world—"

"Please," he interrupted, forcing his eyes shut. "Please don't shout, Ellen. I can't tell you all of this and have you screaming…"

"What am I supposed to do then!" Her eyes were blazing, but Nate couldn't tell if they were from oncoming tears or just anger. "Just say 'well, that's too bad,' and stay calm! I'm afraid that that's not even a remote possibility!"

"Ellen," Chris said, harshly, and jerked his head towards her. "This is hard for Nate, too, ya know. This is the reason why he didn't want to tell us in the first place. Just let him talk, all right?"

She gaped at him, obviously shocked that Chris would say such a thing. Nate would've thought the same thing, but he had other things to be worried about. He felt the need to rush on and told them, "Mark's mom phoned Brad, since the two were relatively close, and he told me. He also made mention of the previous cave-in and its victim, asking if I had ever heard of a Katsuya Suou."

"When did all of this happen?" Chris, the only stable one left out of the trio sitting in the room, asked.

"Detective Suou's accident took place almost a week and a half ago and Mark's was about six days ago. They just declared him 'dead,' which is why we didn't get the news until now."

"I don't believe this…" tears were freely spilling down Ellen's cheeks, and she was clutching Mary tighter for support, seemingly more for herself than for Mary's comfort. Mary, who was bawling like a baby, was no longer interested in the disheartened conversation.

Even Nate was beyond disturbed, and had begun to profusely rub at his eyes to keep from crying. Chris looked like he was shaking, but otherwise all right. He never _had_ been the kind of person to show much emotion, even when his half brother died. Twice, that was. But Mark was, undoubtedly, a good friend of Chris'. Chris just never knew how to express himself during times like these.

As for Ellen, Nate knew she always had a soft spot for Katsuya (though that torch immediately was extinguished when put next to Hero, or, at least, that's what _she_ said…), so her reaction was just, right down to the rupture in her composure. She buried her head in Mary's hair, unable to speak anymore, and wept.

And Mary, Gods, _Mary,_ Nate knew, was _never_ going to recover from this. Sure, Mark had been her first boyfriend, even if he wasn't her _first_ love, and it was true that the two had broken up a few years ago, but Nate always knew that Mary hadn't gotten over Mark. Nor would she ever, he figured. Anytime any of the old gang was mentioned to her, she'd always ask if anyone had heard from Mark, which they hadn't. Not even Brad, who had been one of his closest friends until just recently. If only she knew what had become of him.

Alas, that was all trivial now that he was dead.

Chris sighed. "Someone has to tell the others," he mumbled, looking downcast now that everything had had time to soak in.

"Yes, well…" Nate greatly cleared his throat in order to push away the tears. "I'll be able to reach some of our friends, but I don't have contact with everyone. We must inform them and keep them posted for funeral dates." By the end of this, his voice was almost below audibility.

"I'll call Chunky," the other man listlessly volunteered. "He'll have other numbers, too, I'm sure."

"I see…" Nate abruptly stood up and walked to the back of the room. "If you'll excuse me…" and he left the weeping women and discomforted man to descend into the hall.

Sidestepping around the corner, he quickly padded to the bathroom, stepped in, and shut the door. Turning on the light, he whirled around to face the mirror to see how bad he looked. Aside from reddened cheeks and puffy eyes, he wasn't messy at all, which surprised him. _I want to cry so badly._

Gripping the sides of the sink, he lowered his head and, feeling content with his privacy, silently allowed two tears to trickle down his face and land in the porcelain of the sink.

Nate Nanjo never cried.

But sometimes…it was necessary to give up the pride and have a good breakdown.

\/\/\/

"I'm surprised," Hero admitted, strolling along in Aoba Park with his old friend. "I never would've expected you and Tad to get together in the first place."

It was a half lie, really. Hero knew that the two had been dating since senior year, but he played ignorant for the sake of _remaining_ ignorant. Alana was always a good resource for gossip, even if she _was_ hundreds of miles away.

"It was strange, too," Tammy said. "The way he asked me out was absurd! We were in the middle of a tournament against San Cal High, and I was against their top fencer when, all of a sudden, he takes over the intercom and says, 'Tammy, the only way I'll have you as my girlfriend is if you beat that chump down!' I was so surprised that I _lost_ the tournament for St. Hermelin! My coach was extremely mad at me, and I was even angrier at Tad. But you know what?"

"What?"

"I went out with him anyway."

Hero chuckled, "Didn't he get in trouble for stealing the intercom?"

"Oh, definitely. He spent the next two weeks in detention. But he said it was worth it."

"I'm so sure."

Tammy suddenly stopped and turned to face her companion.

"Say, Yuki says that we're all having a reunion for the gang. You're coming, right?"

"Hmm…" Folding his arms over his chest, the blue haired youth slowly replied, "Well…that's what I wanted to talk to you about…"

"Huh?" she blinked.

"You see, it _is_ true that I haven't kept in touch with anyone, but I want it to be a surprise when I show up at the reunion. So would you do _me_ a favor and _not_ tell anyone that you've seen me, Tammy?"

She appeared taken aback by the request, gawking and stuttering. "W-What? But…But I don't understand. Why would you come out here to see me if you didn't want anyone else knowing that you're back?"

"That's not a difficult question to answer. You see, I need to talk to you about something important later. Only you and your chief can help me. That's why I came to see you."

He wasn't surprised when she took offense to his remark. "Oh, yeah, so if I _wasn't_ involved with Kuzunoha, you and I wouldn't be talking right now, is that it?"

"…No hard feelings?"

She socked him in the stomach. He doubled over in pain, gasping and grunting.

"I should tell everyone you know, Hero Stonefield!" Before she got the chance to pelt him again, her cell phone went off. _Saved by the ringtone…_ the young man gurgled and collapsed to his knees. She flipped open the lid, "Hello?" There was a pause and a small smile lit Tammy's face. She began to nod profusely, as though whoever she was talking to was giving her good news.

_I wonder who it could be…_ Hero picked himself back from off the ground.

"Oh…that's right…the reunion…I…" she halted in mid sentence and began to listen to the recipient of the other line. "Uh…" she stopped again. Her smile disappeared and her head stopped bobbing.

_Tammy…?_

"I see. I'll be right over then." She closed up the phone and tucked it back into her pocket. "That was Chris. He wants to meet me at 2X Slash."

"What for?" Hero asked, though it hurt for him to speak at the moment. He cringed and rubbed the sore spot on his belly.

"He didn't say. Only that it was important, anyway, but, hey, since I'm doing you a favor, do _me_ a favor, will you?"

"…Is it dangerous?"

That brought a smile back to her face. "Nah, just, I feel bad for running out on the Chief, but if you see him or whatever and asks about me, will you tell him that we're still 'hanging out?'"

He shrugged. _And __**where**__ do you think I'm going to see him outside the office?_ "Sure."

She gently slapped his shoulder. "Thanks, Hero. It was good talking to you."

"Tammy," he interrupted, slightly serious. "We _need_ to talk. So if you could arrange that…"

"Yeah, yeah, no problem. Come back in a day or two and I'll listen to anything you want to say to me."

"All right."

She turned to leave. "Catch you around then, Hero. It was great seeing you again!"

"Likewise," he replied and watched her sprint back towards the park gate.

_That was awkward. And…Chris is in town? Nate said he didn't live here. I wonder if it's for the reunion, but, what matter of urgency would he have to talk to Tammy about? One that would even make that smile of hers disappear…_

Though a bit uneasy, Hero decided that there wasn't anything he could do until Tammy actually got in touch with him to discuss the matter. Putting a hand on his stomach again to make sure that the pain was gone, he followed the path she had taken out of the park.

He walked the block back to where he had parked his car, unlocked the driver's door, and got in. It wasn't hard to find his way in reverse back to the Suous' apartment, and he overlooked the misspelling on Maya's part, but traffic slowed him down a bit, which made him realize how much later into the morning it was. He glanced at his clock.

"Eleven thirty. Maya and Tatsuya should be awake by now." _I wonder how they're doing…_

Part of him was extremely curious, while the other half of him truly didn't want to know what was going on. Was Maya okay? Was Tatsuya flipping out again? Though he had enjoyed his talk with Tammy, there was an instant pang of regret, and he felt the urge to hurry. Drumming his fingers against the steering wheel at a red stoplight, he found himself worrying more and more.

_I wonder if I should call them up on my cell phone…_

But then, what if they really _were_ still asleep? Then he would be waking them up, and after it took so long to get them to sleep, too. The night had been rough, though it all seemed like a bad dream now.

_Ha! It's __**anything**__ but a dream._

He pulled into their apartment complex a little after twelve thirty, and found himself strangely moving quickly up the stairs, hugging the corner leading off to the right, and moved down the hall. He made sure to leave the door open for when he came back, but when he got there, the door was locked. _What? Why's the door locked?_ He knocked a few times, mind reeling in reverse to play out all the events from the time he had gotten up to the time he had left. _I __**did**__ leave it unlocked…right?_

The door clicked and then opened, revealing a very different woman than Hero had expected to see. Her eccentric appearance caught him off guard, from her wild red hair with dyed white tips to the strange green dress lined with…were those spider webs? Her black lips turned into a deep frown, and she turned her head to call out into the room.

"Ma-ya, your boyfriend is here!"

_Boyfriend?_ Hero quirked an eyebrow.

She seemed hesitant to step aside for him, but did so anyway. Walking past her into the living quarters, Hero turned his head to the sound of an opening door and watched Maya come from out of the bathroom. Her hands were on her head, smoothing back her dark hair, and she padded out into the commodious room.

She gave a quick glance to Hero and smiled wryly, "Hey."

"Hey," he returned. "Are you feeling better?"

She shrugged and then turned her attention to the other woman in the room. "Ulala, this is Hero…And he's _not_ my boyfriend."

The one named "Ulala" snorted. That's when he remembered.

"Oh, Ulala," he extended a hand, "Maya's told me so much about you."

"I'm sure she has," the redhead said, though he couldn't quite describe the tone in her voice. She sounded upset, but he figured that it was because Maya had told her the current situation. _Still, why take her aggression out on me?_ Nevertheless, she took his hand loosely and shook it.

"Maya," Hero ignored his inner assumptions and released his grip on Ulala's hand. "How is Tatsuya?"

"Asleep as far as I know." Then, looking a little more sullen than before, "I was worried about you when I couldn't find you. I thought that I had upset you by asking you to come over last night, and for keeping you afterwards. So I was getting ready to go out and find you."

"Listen," he told her, "if it _had_ bothered me, do you honestly think I would've stayed?"

From out of the corner of his eye, Hero could see Ulala roll her eyes. _She seems more than just upset. Does…__**bitter**__ fit the bill?_

"…No."

"Good then. Actually, I should be apologizing to _you_ for leaving this morning. I went to go see Tammy, actually, but I thought you needed the sleep and didn't want to wake you."

"Charming." Ulala turned and sat down on the couch, pushing aside the blanket Maya had used the night before.

"Ulala," the other woman pivoted to stare down at her best friend. "I know you're upset…"

"That's not it," the redhead quickly denied. "I'm just not sure where you get off calling a complete stranger before me. Wasn't _I_ Big Suou's friend too?"

"Um…Well…" Maya shrunk backwards. "Ulala, I…"

"Miss," the blue haired youth stepped in. "If I may…" Before she could protest, Hero lightly argued, "Maya didn't contact you because she had no idea where you where and didn't want to break the news to you in such an abrupt manner. Besides, I didn't know the guy at all, which made it easier for me to console not only Maya, but Tatsuya as well. I trust she told you about his state of mind last night?"

"Which brings me to my next point!" Ulala flung herself off the couch and pushed her face into Maya's. "Did you _know_ that Baofu was tapping the police station? But not just that, Ma-ya, he _knew_ that Katsuya was dead and _never _even contacted us until I called him!"

Maya appeared startled, biting down on her lip and then gave Ulala an unsettling glare. Though he had only known her for a short while, Hero never thought that Maya could get so angry.

"Oh he _did,_ did he?" the dark haired woman spat. "I had no idea at all!"

"I'm meaning to give him a piece of my mind," Ulala crossed her arms. "If what this guy here says is true…" she gestured to Hero, "…then I guess Tatsuya was pretty bad off last night?"

"I think that's an understatement."

"You never told me about it, Ma-ya."

"I didn't get the chance," she lowered her eyes to the ground, obviously quite upset. "He was tapping the police for some odd reason, _knew_ that Katsuya had had an accident, and didn't even _contact_ us about it until you called? Even more so, Tatsuya was over the edge last night. If it weren't for Hero prying the sword from his hands, I don't know _what_ he would've done."

Ulala's face puffed up and she glanced from Maya to Hero. "Y-You're not saying…he would've…"

"Quite possibly," Hero cut in. "But we didn't want to wait around to see if our assumptions would be right."

Ulala dropped her head in her hands and fell back down onto the couch, which groaned softly. "Oh man…" she mumbled. Then, shaking her head fiercely, "No, no, I can't think about this right now. Ma-ya, we gotta go. Minako is waiting out in the car and I told her that we'd only be a moment. Let's talk on the way out."

Through her eagerness, Hero could see that the redhead's eyes were brimming with tears. She jumped off the couch again and walked over to grab her coat.

"I'll be out in a moment," Maya told her.

She was rewarded with a glower from her friend, who silently exited the Suou apartment. Maya turned towards Hero and sighed.

"Maybe you should hurry on after her," he suggested. "Her first impression of me wasn't a good one. I doubt she'll let you get away with staying here with me."

"That's not it," Maya said, exhaustedly. "Ulala…well…She might feel threatened."

"Of me?" Hero jolted. "What…what does she—"

"Ulala's not possessive, but she doesn't have many real friends. It's because people have always taken advantage of her. She might think you're trying to take me away from her."

It appeared awkward for Maya to have to explain her friend, and she glanced away, obviously ashamed.

"I see." Hero scratched his chin, remembering that he had to shave. "I'll…keep that in mind."

"Don't mind her now," she hastily added. "She can get pretty rash in dire situations. I'm sure she's just really upset over Katsuya."

"Yeah," Hero halfheartedly agreed. "I hear you've also got a guy to go yell at, too."

Maya's face clouded, but she tried to force herself to remain calm. "That's right," she said. "Hero, could you please look after Tatsuya?"

"Maya…"

"I know I'm probably selfishly asking for a lot, but I don't have the time to stay and watch him right now. The Chief is already going to be so mad that I haven't shown up this morning, and Ulala is making things difficult for me by acting this way, and then I have to—"

Hero silenced her as he put two hands on her shoulders. She looked down towards the ground, crestfallen and ready to cry. He offered up a smile, though she couldn't see it.

"Of course I'll stay here and watch over him. You have nothing to worry about."

Though she refused to look at him, he noted the small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. It was like a flash, and it was small, but he could still see it.

"Thanks."

Pulling away from him, she left the Suou apartment to join her friend.

\/\/\/

Ten minutes after his long, inner debate, he was interrupted when the Chief called and told Kaoru Saga to meet him at Ebisu Beach. Clad in a long, brown coat, the wire tapper, former prosecutor, and pessimistic Persona User jogged down the faded, wooden steps and hopped down into the sand. Baofu quickly glanced around, knowing he wouldn't have to wait long to find the Chief. The Chief was a very punctual man, who had a busy schedule, and Sunday Golf Tournaments to catch.

Thinking about it in depth now, there was no other man that Baofu respected more than the Chief. But links came with its reasons, too. Baofu's respect for the Chief wasn't there just because the Chief was Baofu's superior or former employer. In fact, it was a completely different reason that pulled a one-eighty in Baofu's eyes. Maybe it wasn't just that Baofu held respect for the Chief, but Baofu thought that, surprisingly enough, he was ashamed with himself around the Chief, too.

Baofu knew the Chief longer than anyone else he could think of, and it was that meeting with the Chief that ultimately brought Baofu and misery together.

"Kaoru."

Baofu looked left, his eyes catching the silhouette of a tall man on the shoreline of the beach. Mouth twitching, he trudged through the sand, scoffing at the sand that enclosed around his expensive, leather boots, and joined the other man.

"Hey," Baofu lightly greeted. "You called me out here?"

"I think you have a bright idea of the foe we're going up against here," the Chief began, old, thin eyes gazing out on the waters. "What have you figured out about Kazuya?"

Baofu reached into his pocket, grabbed a cigarette and a lighter, and lit up. "Complete standstill, Chief," Baofu announced after taking a long drag. "Nothing adds up. The autopsy report is a complete mess, the X-rays are all wrong, and the injuries don't match up with the blows. Completely unorthodox."

The Chief chuckled. "You think so, eh?" He shifted a bit, "Did you hear about the two cave-ins in Lunarvale?"

"…Yeah." Baofu put the cigarette to his lips.

"You think those are unorthodox, too?"

"Sure do." Baofu twirled the still lit cigarette in between his fingers. "To tell you the truth, I knew one of them personally."

The Chief whirled his head around to stare at Baofu. "No kidding? Which one did you know?"

"The detective. He was a real pushover…" Baofu closed his eyes behind the lenses of his glasses. "But he was a good man."

"My apologies, Kaoru."

"I don't think he's dead," Baofu replied, bluntly. "If you knew him like I did, you'd think so, too."

There was an awkward silence between the two, and the Chief's eyes returned to the ocean. The sun was beginning to rise high, coming into the peak of the day, and the waves reflected the rays of the sun like a large prism. The Chief had to shield his arm for the moment, and Baofu looked to the sand, small, dry grains of sand getting caught up in the passing wind. Overhead, he caught the squawking of seagulls, but they were easily drowned out by the crashing waves. He even had to step back in order to avoid being caught in one.

Then he turned to stare at the Chief. It had been a long time since he had seen the Chief. The last time he had seen him in person was right before Miki died. He appeared much older and more wizened since their last meeting. The Chief was tall, with short, black hair that was now almost gray. He remembered the Chief always have been clean shaven, but there was a small stubble around his face and mouth. Solid lines formed at his forehead, in the creases of his nose and mouth, and folds were evident around his eyes, as though he hadn't slept in years.

The Chief was an older man, but Baofu remembered that he hid his age well. Now, standing before the same man from years ago, Baofu wouldn't have been able to recognize him unless the Chief spoke first. Despite the fact that he looked worn out and tired, the Chief's trend never lost its touch, complete with a white shirt, forest green vest, a black tie and pants, and slick leather shoes.

"That's what you said about Miki, Kaoru. Then you found her body in the rubble."

Baofu snapped his cigarette in half using only two fingers. Then he grunted when ash trickled under his coat sleeve and onto his skin. Waving it away, Baofu dropped the cigarette into the sand and stomped it out.

"Miki and Suou are different," Baofu told him with an even voice.

"What? Is he a Persona User…like _you,_ Kaoru?"

Baofu tilted his head, forcing a smile. The Chief was the only one on the force who knew that Baofu had survived because of his Persona. He remembered after Miki's death breaking down on the man and telling him everything. Baofu wondered if the Chief had always harbored bad feelings toward him for that.

"Yeah," Baofu finally answered. "His Persona might've saved him, you know."

"But there's a difference between you and him," the Chief pointed out. "You were in a car crash. How would his Persona help him during a cave-in?"

"It's complex," Baofu shrugged, "because _you're_ not a Persona User, Chief. But you gotta believe me when I tell you that I think he's alive."

"Kaoru…" the Chief shook his head. "What happened to Miki…"

"The guy responsible is dead. You don't have anything else to worry about." Fishing for another cigarette, Baofu added, "Unless there's something you want to say to me…?"

"Don't make any mistakes here," the Chief told him. "We're not out of the woods you know. I want you to send me all of the reports you have on those three deaths, understand? If you're wrong, and that detective is dead, do you know what will happen inside of the police force?"

"Yeah, yeah, I do." Baofu held the new cigarette in his fingers, but neglected to light it. "I'll send you the reports when I get back." Then he paused. "You could've called me on the phone to tell me all of this, Chief. I doubt that you've really told me the real reason you brought me out here."

The Chief was silent for a moment, and then he laughed. "Kaoru, you and I haven't seen each other in years. I just thought it was about time we met up to chat in person instead of over the phone. Actually…" the Chief turned his head back to Kaoru, staring at him with great seriousness. "I just wanted you to see with your own eyes what grief these last few years have brought me."

Baofu looked away, guilt taking over him. "I loved your niece, Chief. I never wanted what happened to happen to her. I've almost paid my dues. If you'll excuse me." He turned and, still fumbling with the cigarette, left the Chief to stand on the beach.

\/\/\/

Well, that's a shock. …Not really I guess XD. The Chief being Miki's uncle anyway. So, if you liked and want to see more, please RnR. Flames will be used to conduct more methods of tribal dances. Thanks to all of my readers!

ML


	7. A Few Unjustified Surprises

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Persona.

**A/N: **Thanks again for all of the reviews, guys. It makes me happy to see that there are still P1 and P2 readers out there! Please continue to read and review!

**So from now on,** I'll be writing my stories in **order of importance.** If you want to see more of **this story,** please review and tell me so, or vote in the poll on my author's page. Thanks much!

**\/\/\/**

**Dance to the Waltz**

**Chapter Seven**

**A Few Unjustified Surprises**

**\/\/\/**

When Tatsuya awoke, it was half past two. His eyes fluttered for a while, still swollen shut from the night before. It took some time for everything to piece itself back together like a watered-down puzzle, but once it did, the realization of the night's previous events weighed down upon the teenager like gravity. He closed his eyes and turned his head away from the clock on the nightstand next to his bed. He wanted to lay there forever and never move. Where does one pick up the pieces of their life when they lose a loved one? He couldn't even begin to think. All Tatsuya knew for sure was that he was getting sick.

Placing a hand on top of his stomach, he lay still a moment longer, painfully remembering the phone call, the shock, and the rage. Then something snapped inside of him and Hero and Maya were by his side. Maya was crying, but Hero was trying to calm the teenager down. Then Tatsuya remembered being in his room, swinging a sword and screaming. But that was all. He hadn't even recalled falling asleep.

_I wonder if they're still here,_ he asked silently to himself. _I don't know what to say to them to explain my behavior from last night. Normally, I don't go off like that._

Forcing himself to sit up, Tatsuya still clutched his stomach, back bent over as though he was suffering from a hangover. He felt his bangs touch his cheeks, but having them trimmed was a mental note that wasn't quite the topic on his mind. He shifted his weight on the bed and placed his feet on the floor. He stayed there a moment, took a deep breath, and pushed himself to a standing position.

He instantly became dizzy, and he leaned forward to take hold of his wall with the hand that wasn't on his belly. Shaking his head, he began on a slow venture for the door, which was shut almost completely. Tatsuya hadn't even remembered closing it, which made him wonder if someone wasn't still in his apartment. Though he was quite accustomed to being the lone wolf, he wordlessly hoped that one of them was there.

Reaching for the knob, he turned it, pulled it open, and emerged into the hallway. The end that led out into the front room was abundant with sunlight, and it almost disgusted him. His brother was dead, but the sun still had the effrontery to rise. _I wish it would rain._ Now free from having to grab or hold anything else, Tatsuya's hand went to join the one that was already on his stomach.

Shuffling out into the front room, he was somewhat amazed to see that it was spotless. He remembered throwing things and breaking stuff the night before. Had someone cleaned it up? Then, he caught the sound of a muffled gasp and his head jerked around to the couch, which was littered with several pillows and a sleeping bag on the floor. It took another second to realize that the couch was occupied by a figure, slouched over, and head in hands.

Coming a bit closer, Tatsuya recognized the figure as a man, his body contracting every so often, followed by a small noise coming from within his throat. When the teen saw the man's fingers grip the scalp underneath navy blue hair, he realized that it was Maya's friend, Hero, who was sitting on the couch. He quickly took a seat by the upset man.

"Hey," Tatsuya made sure his presence was known and that he hadn't startled Hero. "You all right?"

Hero's contractions came to a halt, and he seemed to swallow any gasps he had emitted a moment ago. It took the older man a minute to do anything at all, and finally his hands slid down the sides of his face, as though wiping something away. Tatsuya patiently waited for Hero to say something, but all that the man did was take a sleeve across his face with one hand, and then come back to his eyes with the other. Looking at what he could of Hero's shielded face, Tatsuya noted how red and puffy his cheeks were.

_Much like my own. Is he crying?_ "What's wrong?" Tatsuya asked, his tone even and low.

Hero said nothing for quite some time. He just sat there looking away from Tatsuya as though the teenager wasn't even there. Slightly more worried, Tatsuya used a hand to nudge the older man's arm. Hero didn't react to the touch, but it did prompt him to finally turn his head. Tatsuya held his breath when he saw the other man's sad and teary eyes.

"It's funny…" Hero's voice came low and shaken, "…how similar you and I are."

"Did something happen?" the teen began again.

Hero turned his head, fumbling with his fingers. Suddenly, he arose from the couch and began to pace back and forth across the floor. Tatsuya watched him intently for a long while, while Hero tried to get his thoughts together. Finally, he whirled around and ran his hands through his hair.

"A friend of mine just called me a few minutes ago. Your brother wasn't the only one who had an accident in the Lunarvale Ruins."

Tatsuya's eyes widened. "…What?"

"Apparently, one of my good friends was killed in there just a few days ago…About four days after your brother, it seems."

"Did your friend know my brother?" the boy asked, struggling to find a connection between the strange coincidences.

"Not that I'm aware of." Hero padded slowly over to the sliding glass window that led out onto the lanai. Tatsuya could see his fist clench. "I…can't believe this. Why now?"

"I'm…really sorry to hear about that. After what you went through with me…" Tatsuya felt the need to lower his eyes to the ground, "…you don't deserve this." When Hero said nothing, it only made the teen feel worse, though he inwardly knew that the older man was not upset with him. "Hero, about my behavior last night—"

"Don't worry about it," the other replied in a whisper.

"But I was extremely out of character," Tatsuya argued, finally lifting his eyes again. He, too, arose from the couch, as though to assume an argumentative stance. Tatsuya wasn't exactly in the mood to argue, but he felt that he had to get this off of his chest. "I could've hurt you, or Maya, or even myself! If you two hadn't come to stop me, I'm not sure what I would've done! I…I just don't know how I can repay you. I mean, after the phone call yesterday, I couldn't grasp—"

"It's understandable," Hero interrupted. "No one's holding anything against you."

Tatsuya's arms fell to his side. "I guess…I…I just want to say…" He trailed off, and then cursed himself for feeling so timid.

"You're welcome."

Tatsuya stared at the other man's back, a small smile forcing itself to materialize. He wasn't sure why, either. He felt anything _but_ happy. However, the company was pleasing, and this time to recoup wasn't going to be easy. And…he knew that Hero was probably feeling the same way, too. Exhaling loudly, a dire thought came to the boy's mind, and he said, "I guess I need to call mom and dad, huh?"

Hero slowly turned back around, and he seemed to be doing better than when Tatsuya had first found him sobbing on the couch. "I'm sure the police have already contacted them."

"So I should probably start looking for funeral homes, then." Tatsuya felt his fingers twitching. "I've…never had to do this before."

"I'll help you." Hero seemed to recognize Tatsuya's needs easily. Tatsuya smiled. At least he didn't have to worry about the trouble of voicing his thoughts.

"And I need to pack his things, too."

"Give it some time, first," Hero warned. "Don't rush into things too fast or else you'll wind up like you were last night."

Tatsuya slowly nodded. "I think I'll be fine for right now." Then, feeling the need to, he asked, "What about you? Are you going to be all right?"

"I'll manage. It'll be hard, but there are people here who are counting on me." Hero closed his eyes, as though trying hard to fight back his own tears. "I'll have time to grieve later."

"Don't push yourself too hard, either, all right?" Tatsuya knew it sounded corny, but he didn't know how else to express his thanks to the other man. "I…I know what you're going through, all right?"

The gesture brought a small smile to Hero's face. "Thanks."

\/\/\/

"Amano, what is this supposed to be!?"

Maya stood there before Chief Mizuno and her Desk of Despair, taking abuse like no other. Today, she didn't even feel like fighting back. Mizuno was flipping through Maya's ten page report of absolutely nothing, and then flung it across the desk at her. It was a complete overshot, and the papers hit Maya before bouncing to the floor.

Wordlessly, the reporter bent over to pick them up.

"I send you on a mission, and you come back from a _cakewalk!_ What _exactly_ am I supposed to be reading in that report of yours?"

"I'm sorry, Chief," Maya mumbled.

"You've got his name, the title of his books, and then a summary of every book he's done. This isn't seventh grade, Amano! I asked for details about the _man,_ not a book review!"

"Chief, if I may, there's absolutely nothing about him. You said it yourself, didn't you? He's a complete mystery."

"I _told_ you he was coming to Sumaru, Amano! The great Masakatsu Nakamura! The mystery man of novel writing! How could you not put your heart and soul into this!?"

"I'm sorry, Chief," Maya's words were slowly being filled with anger, but she didn't want to go off on the Chief. Not now, anyway.

"There are ten other people just lined up for your job, Amano! You hear me? _Waiting._"

Growling, Maya stood back up and stormed out of the office. She was amazed that she had enough willpower to _not_ slam the door behind her, but the rest of her body was steaming. She hadn't even noticed when Fujii came up behind her and tapped her on her shoulders.

Whirling around, Maya let out a shriek, and threw her papers into the air, letting them rain down all around her.

"Woah, woah! Eaaaaaasy, Mackey! The Chief hit you on a bad day?"

Exhaling as much anger as she could, Maya forced herself to calm down and take a mental chill pill. "Gods, Fujii, you startled me."

"Doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that, Mac. What's going on, anyway? Chief Mizuno wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something?"

"I guess you could say that," Maya folded her arms. "She completely shredded my report _and_ what's left of my self esteem."

"Oh yeah, huh? You're doing that report on Masakatsu Nakamura, huh?"

She blew a strand of loose hair from her eyes. "Yeah. Know anything about him?"

"Wish I could tell you I do, but then I'd be lying." Fujii shrugged. "You know she gave you this impossible report for a reason, Mac. She knows that no one knows anything about the guy. What could she possibly expect sending you out onto the battlefield without any ammo?"

"Well, I didn't expect for my own General to shoot me in the back," Maya retorted. "She's threatening my job, now. You know, I'll bet that that's what it is."

"What is?"

"A ploy. She's going to use this to fire me. I just know it."

Fujii seemed to force a wry laugh. "Come on, Mac. Don't think that way. Mizuno would never…" He stopped when he saw the hard look on her face. "All right, maybe she would. But, seriously now, what's she having you do? I might be able to help."

"I need to hunt down Masakatsu Nakamura, stalk him, and make him answer every question I've got. And then, if that doesn't make anything better, I'll force him to marry the Chief. _Then_ I'll get a promotion for sure."

Fujii laughed. "Don't get so optimistic, Mackey. You really think Nakamura would marry her?"

"Or that I'd get a promotion?" Maya let out a small chuckle, which surprised her. She didn't _feel_ happy—quite the contrary, really. _Maybe I'm just putting on airs and I just don't know it._ She bent down to pick up her papers, and Fujii knelt down to help, too.

"Just take it easy, Mackey. I don't know what to tell you about Nakamura, but if you let the Chief get under your skin, there won't be any way for you to get this project done."

"Yeah. I could really use a vacation," Maya's chuckle became wry and crackly. "Oh well. Maybe after this project."

"You've been saying that for years now, Mac." Fujii followed her lead once she stood up, and handed his share of her papers back to her. "Make it a must this time, all right? Promise me. I hate seeing you this stressed out."

_I wish the project was the only thing stressing me out,_ she thought, bitterly, but only offered up a tiny smile and a nod. "You know it, Fujii."

"Great. That's my Mackey." He gave her a light tap on the shoulder. "Say, have you seen Yuuki today? She was supposed to come in today, but I haven't seen her."

"That's odd. Yuki never calls in." She shrugged, "Running late, maybe?"

"She's only done that twice…And she called both times."

"_Really_ odd." Maya shook her head. "I haven't a clue, Fujii, but if I see her, I'll let you kno—"

She was cut off by the dinging from the elevator, followed by sliding doors. The two turned and watched as a dejected Yuki Mayuzumi emerged, her shoulders slumped and her face lowered.

"Yu…ki…?" Fujii left Maya's side to join Yuki at the elevator doors. "Hey, what's the matter, Yuuki?"

"Nothing," Yuki furiously wiped at her eyes. "Nothing at all."

"Yuki…" Maya whispered below audibility, watching as Fujii tried to console the distraught photographer. "What's the matter?"

"Come on, Yuki, you gotta tell me what's wrong." Maya knew things were serious when Fujii called Yuki by her real name instead of his nickname for her. "You didn't even call to tell me where you were."

"Sorry about that," she brushed past him, her shoulders still hanging. "Please…could you just leave me alone for now?"

Yuki took refuge in a cubicle nearby, though it didn't even belong to her, and just sat down at the desk to stare at the wall. Fujii took a couple steps forward and turned to Maya.

"What just happened, Mackey?"

_In all the time I've known Yuki, I've only seen her cry a few times, one time being on the "Other Side" when Fujii was killed. Whatever is bothering her, it must be bad._ "I have no idea."

"Should we try to talk to her again?"

Maya's eyes turned in Yuki's direction. From within the cubicle, she could see that the photographer was crying.

"…No. Just give her some space and talk to her when she comes out."

"You sure?"

Maya looked back to Fujii. "If I know Yuki, she's a proud woman. She doesn't want anyone to see when she's hurt or crying. Please, just wait a while."

Fujii appeared dissatisfied with the order, and folded his arms over his chest. "You seem to know something about her, Mac."

"Just call it woman's intuition," Maya lied. Then she turned and padded toward the elevator.

"Where are you going?" Fujii asked.

"Just out for a little while." She hit the down arrow on the panel on the wall. _Yuki…what happened?_

\/\/\/

Ulala kicked at Baofu's unresponsive door, cursing his name and everything associated with him. She glanced at her watch and growled. _Three-thirty. He's probably passed out._ After Minako had dropped Maya off at work, Ulala insisted on coming by Baofu's not-so-secret lair and giving him a piece of her mind.

How _dare_ he not tell them about what happened to Katsuya. Baofu seemed so nonchalant on the phone, as though he hadn't cared about Katsuya's death at all. And then there was the fact that he had still fired her. Oh, how he would _pay._

Ulala Serizawa was a very persistent woman, and she never took "no" for an answer, especially from someone like Baofu. She wanted to be like the cockroach…well…maybe a little _prettier_ than a cockroach…who never died. Or the leech who never went away.

…Maybe the visual was a little obscure.

But never the less, Ulala was persistent. And until she got to the bottom of this, she _wasn't_ going away. Ever.

"Baofu, I don't care if you have to get a _restraining_ order against me, I am _not_ leaving this front door until we talk face to face! Or are you not _man_ enough to look me in the eyes?"

He was ignoring her. She hated to be ignored. Ulala quickly glanced around, looking for the large vase by his door that had used to carry a thriving plant within it. If he hadn't moved it already, a spare key would be found there, and, thus, she would be granted entryway into his lair of dismay. Unfortunately, the vase was no longer where it normally was. But she was certain that it was still around his place somewhere.

"Time for a little B and E," she cackled, rubbing her hands together while she walked around the corner, looking for the plant. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted it by the water drain. "So he _did_ move it. I wonder if the key is still under there."

Crouching down, she used one hand to lift up on the brim of the vase and the other to slide around in the dirt underneath the vase. She felt her hopes heightening, and smiled widely when her fingers touched something cold and dirty. Wrapping her fingers around a brass key, she withdrew her hand, dropped the vase back down, and quickly moved back to the front door.

"Stupid Baofu," she mumbled. "If he _really_ wanted me out of his life, he would've had to have moved more than just the dumb vase."

Sticking the key into the keyhole, she turned, listened to the wonderful click as the door unlocked, and welcomed herself inside. Tossing the door open, she pulled out the key and stuffed it into her blouse for good measure, and for a cold reminder that she had to put the key back when she was done with it.

Trotting downstairs, she quickly swiped a hand against the wall, turning on the light switch, and hopped down the last three steps. She gave a quick search around the room, but found no Baofu. Her lips twitched with curiosity. Where was he?

"The bathroom, maybe? Or the makeshift kitchen?" She wandered around the corner and peeked inside the open bathroom. It was dark and smelled funny, but Baofu was, otherwise, not in there. More confident now that he wasn't home, she turned and walked down the other hall leading to his silly "kitchen." The lights were all off and no sounds were coming from within.

"Yeah. He's not home," Ulala told herself, though slightly relieved. She actually wasn't sure _what___she wanted to say to Baofu now. Retreating back to the main room, she took a closer look at his messy workspace.

Papers, envelopes, and x-rays were scattered about on one corner of his desk, his gigantic headphones were dangling off the edge of another, the phone had pulled to its maximum capacity that the cord would allow (and even then, the phone still wasn't on the hook properly), and an empty bottle of bourbon was laying on its side, rolled up against the side of his chair.

The computer was displaying his wonderful screensaver, which just happened to be a slideshow of showgirls, modeling for some magazine that Baofu had an unhealthy obsession for. When he had had the time to download the screensaver, Ulala didn't know. But she angrily seated herself in his chair, moved the mouse to disrupt the screensaver, and went into his options to change it to a nice slideshow of forestry and flowers.

Once she was satisfied, she began to rummage through his paperwork, careful not to tamper with them too much. He would probably figure out the screensaver right away, but if she messed with too much stuff, he might not forgive her.

"Psh," her brows furrowed together. "Like I care."

…She would change the screensaver back before she left.

Still, she gingerly took the messy stack of papers and envelopes in one hand, flipping through them as though she were flipping through her favorite book.

"Kazuya Ogasawara," she read the name on the envelope. "An autopsy report? How did he manage to get his hands on something like this? Even with his profession, I doubt this is something they'd freely give away." Even so…what would be the connection? "Did Bao…know him?"

Ulala continued to flip through the papers, scrutinizing the x-rays and reading the sloppy chicken scratch writing that Baofu had scribbled down next to things that he had felt were important.

"Crime scene photos don't add up…Time of approximated death is different than what coroner suggested…Blows and wounds are inaccurate…" Something slid out from within the stack and into Ulala's lap. Lowering her gaze, she recognized that it was a photo of a body in the middle of a road. With more focused attention, she realized that she knew the location as well. "That's in Konan Ward…" she breathed. "I read earlier in the newspaper that there had been a body found there." Looking back to the papers in her hand, she asked herself, "Are they one and the same? If so, what's Baofu's interest in the man?"

Setting the papers back onto the desk, she slid the photo back into the middle of the stack. Then she sat there in the chair for quite some time, pondering to herself. _So __**this**__ is what Baofu has been trying to keep from me. He's moved his stakes onto higher grounds, like murders. But…why would he keep this sort of thing from me? It doesn't seem to be __**that**__ important…_

Leaning back in the chair until it squeaked, she began to rub her chin like she had seen done so many times in the detective movies. "I wonder what the Chief is having Bao do that I can't do. Whatever it is, Bao feels the need to keep me out of it." She frowned. "That jerk."

Something else caught her attention, and she glanced over at the envelope almost completely hidden behind the computer tower. Reaching forward, she grabbed it with one hand and brought it back to her face for further examination.

"IC case? I…See case…?" Ulala scrunched her eyes, holding the envelope closer. "The hell is that?" Opening the lid, she fished inside and removed a packet. Tossing the envelope aside, she began to read the cover. "IC case. _Now_ I think we're getting somewhere." Flipping to the next page, she caught the words "Case Summary" at the top and began to diligently read.

_A four year killing spree and still going. Almost ninety people have been killed, all with different markings on their bodies. It was originally thought to have been connected to the Joker killings, but they have continued even after the Joker was stopped some time ago. The killings have migrated all around Europe and Asia, and each killing is more brutal than the last._

Ulala continued to read, flipping through the pages more quickly now, as the murder mystery captured her attention.

"7XVIIIIC? An unbreakable code?" Then she suddenly remembered the autopsy report for Kazuya Ogasawara having something interesting written on it. "I think they said that there was a similar code written on his forehead." Grabbing the stack again, she flipped through the autopsy report, and found something circled in red. "7XIXIC" As though she had discovered the most obvious thing in the world, Ulala jumped to her feet, letting all of the papers fall to the ground, and shouted, "That's it! They're connected!"

_So, __**that's**__ why Baofu won't let me join in. He thinks I can't do this. He and the Chief must've conspired against me. Ha! Well, if only he knew that I know about his little schemes. I'll have this figured out in no time!_

Then she suddenly stopped. "But I can't take the report with me…otherwise he'll know that I know." Quickly bending over to scoop up the papers, she tidied up his desk the way she had found it, and shoved the IC report back into its envelope. She tossed it back behind the computer and stood up to leave. "I'll just do my **own** research…with_out_ Baofu." Making sure that there were no trails left behind of her being there, she turned and darted up the stairs, turning off the lights as she went.

A moment later, a screensaver popped up on Baofu's computer. One with forests and flowers shining brightly against the darkness in the room.

\/\/\/

"So, you all had the same dream?"

"Wow…That's weird…"

"Maybe he's having…the same dream, too."

_The same dream…as everyone else. How is that possible?_

"Hey, are you even paying attention!?"

Hero Stonefield was rudely forced away from his train of thought. Shaking his head violently, he cleared his thoughts and gazed around at his surroundings. _The Drama room._ It was a club he had signed up for in order to gain credits to apply for a scholarship he was looking into. "Yes ma'am," he replied, offering a phony smile.

The club leader was leaning over her desk, glowering at him. When she bent over that way, he couldn't help but get an eyeful of massive cleavage. He quickly looked away, face brightening.

"Anyway," she continued, looking away from him. "Our Performing Arts club still doesn't know what to do for the Cultural Festival."

A student blurted out from the other side of their large conference table, "The Track Meet is still a month away. And then the Cultural Festival is right after that. So we have to practice a lot."

Hero turned his attention away to stare at the blackboard behind the club leader. Tons of indecipherable things were written, followed by a flower and hearts someone drew out of obvious boredom. Next to that was a small desk with a jar of markers on top of it. Settings from different plays covered the walls and windows. Save the little bit of light that was offered by the florescent light bulb above them, it was dark and dim.

"Well…Oh…" The club leader was staring at Hero again. "Hey, you look pretty cute...Why don't you try dressing up as a woman at the Cultural Festival?"

Everyone laughed. Hero frowned. They were always like that, too. He told Nate about it later, only because the rich boy enjoyed the Cultural Festival, and it brought a smile to Nate's face.

"Well, you _are_ well liked in the school, Hero. If you did that, I'm sure everyone would come and you'd raise an exceptional amount of money. If you want ideas, I'd talk to the girls."

Hero snorted. "Thanks."

He and his friends were Juniors in high school. Even Mark said that he should live it up a bit and take to cross-dressing.

A few days passed since the incident with Philemon, the Personas, and the game in general. No one wanted to play again after that. No one even _mentioned_ what had happened. Hero was surprised. During gym class, he ran alongside Nate and popped the question that had been on his mind since it had happened.

"Hey, Nate?"

Hero could hear the other boy breathing heavily and soon tripped over his feet, but regained his balance before he could completely eat the dirt. Hero remembered that Nate hated the gym, and not because he was fat or anything like that. Nate had this thing about being dignified at all times. In gym class, one would become sweaty and stinky—two traits that were not becoming of Nate Nanjo.

The rich boy adjusted the glasses on his nose and sharply breathed, "Yeah?"

Hero was tempted to advise Nate not to push himself so hard, but bit his tongue. _He doesn't like being told what to do._ So Hero just dove right in.

"About the other day…we haven't even so much as discussed it. Why? We all had the same dream."

"Are you…talking…about the game?" Nate huffed.

"Yeah."

"It's true that we…all had…the same dream, but…" suddenly, Nate stopped running, bringing his feet down against the ground like brakes to a car. Hero skid to a stop and looked over his shoulder. "Forget it, I'm tired of running. Let's just walk for a moment, all right?"

The other boy nodded. "Only for a minute though. If coach has to wait for too long, we'll get docked."

"Yes, yes, I know. Anyway, I think that the reason no one has talked about it is because it's too farfetched to be explained, you understand?"

"Do you believe in it?"

Nate said nothing for the first few seconds. He simply held a hand to his chest, breathing deeply in and exhaling. Then he said, "I don't know."

"Shouldn't we talk about it with the others?"

"Maybe. Has anything else strange happened to you?"

"No…but, that doesn't mean that nothing else strange will happen. Even Ellen hasn't talked about it and that's unusual even for _her._ This occult thing is her life."

"Right, right. Well, maybe we should research it. This thing called 'Persona.' We might find something out about it."

"And Philemon too." Hero looked up ahead and saw the materializing group of students, "Come on, we have to start running. If coach sees us walking, he'll—"

"I know, he'll dock points."

The two picked up speed.

It continued like that for the rest of the day and even the day after that. Hero went from class to class, slyly eavesdropping on other students passing in the hall, hoping to catch a sign that maybe he wasn't the only one.

Maybe that he wasn't going crazy after all.

His prayers were answered when wrestling champ, Kenta Yokouchi (or "Chunky," as everyone called him), announced during lunch a dream he had had. He was rewarded with an uproar of laughter, but Hero sidled in to listen.

"It's true! I...I had the weirdest dream! It was about a little girl that was crying for help!" Students were pointing and laughing at him. His shoulders slumped, eyes scanning the room for _anyone_ to believe him. When he caught sight of an attentive Hero, his spirits lifted and he said, "Maybe that dream was trying to tell me something...Maybe there's a girl out there that needs my help...How cool!" everyone continued to laugh at him.

If there was one thing about Chunky, it was that he was gullible. _Strong,_ but gullible. Hero figured that he was self-conscious about himself, and maybe made up stories about things to make himself appear better than he was.

But this was one story that he was _not_ making up.

"Maybe Alana will go out with me now," Chunky chirped, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Earlier in the month, the bigger boy had asked Alana out, who promptly gave him the boot. She was never very tactful, and never had any bedside manner. Hero shook his head at the thought.

\/\/\/

"Can you pass me the tape?" Tatsuya's hand reached out and Hero gave him the roll, accompanied by scissors. "Thanks."

Hero went back to sorting through papers, the sound of tape being stripped from the roll resounding in the room and being placed on a box the younger boy was currently working with.

"Are you sure you want to be doing this?" the blue haired man finally asked.

"Yeah. Don't worry about me."

"Really?" Hero set down a stack he had been looking through. "It's not too soon?"

"No. Mom and dad will want his stuff, so I should do it now."

"Yeah, but—"

"It's all right."

Hero turned his head so that he could see the other boy, but Tatsuya's concentration was on the box before him. Next to him was a stack of Katsuya's pants. Beside that were his socks and undergarments. Hero bit his lip.

_Poor kid. No one should have to go through this. And, selfishly, I'm helping him with this so that I don't have to concentrate on Mark's death._

Hero took to the documents because the younger Suou asked him to.

"I don't know what all those fancy things are for, and I really can't bear to see anything he's written at the moment."

Hero had quirked an eyebrow, "Yet you want to start packing his stuff now?"

"Mom and dad wanted to come over and help, but I don't want to see them right now. So if I don't do it now, they'll do it, and I don't want that."

"I see." _So he's pushing himself to do it. Tatsuya…_

The younger boy lifted the box from the floor and set it outside the door of his late brother's room. When he sluggishly walked back in, he looked around to see what was next to be boxed up. Hero wanted to say something else, but went back to the papers before him.

_Most of these are just police documents, receipts, among bank statements. Nothing really of super importance, like cards and letters._

"You know, I heard that my brother was keeping a diary," Tatsuya finally announced. "I'd like to get my hands on it before mom and dad do."

"How'd you find that out?"

"Mom told me. On the phone, she specifically said that she wanted it, but I want it more."

Hero visually nodded in agreement. _Understandable. From what Maya said, the two weren't close, but Tatsuya seemed to idolize his brother. I can see why he'd want that diary._

"Right, I'll keep a watch out for it."

"You know," Tatsuya moved around the room to grab more of his brother's belongings, "Katsuya was an amazing person. I never really took the time to think about it, but now that he's gone…" Tatsuya trailed off, and, from the corner of his eye, Hero saw him shake his head. "I can't stop thinking about it."

"Tatsuya…"

"I mean, _sure_ he talked too much, and was a perfectionist to the point of being annoying, and he forced all of his cooking down my throat, and he babied me worse than mom and dad, and he made sure I did my homework and went to school—"

"Tatsuya—"

"—and he always talked about getting me into a good college, and stalked me to make sure I was staying out of the clubs, and—"

"Tatsuya!"

Hero quickly stood up and the other whirled around to face him. The older was startled to see tears streaming down the boy's face. He took a step back.

"But I loved him!" Tatsuya cried. "I honestly loved him! And I miss him!" Hero watched as Tatsuya turned on the room, reaching down to grab the comforter from his brother's bed. "How am I supposed to get through this now? _Right _now!? Why did he have to leave me behind!?" he held the blanket close to his face, burying himself in it and holding it close. There was a muffled sound coming from him and Hero continued to stare.

"We'll get through this," he found himself saying, though he didn't know why he had said it. "I promise you that we'll get through it."

"How can you say that?" Tatsuya threw the blanket back onto the bed. "I don't even _know_ you! You're a complete _stranger_ to me!"

"But we're not strangers to the same situation, Tatsuya," Hero said. "In case you've forgotten, I, too, lost a best friend."

And, surprisingly enough, that seemed to calm the teenager. He closed his mouth, arms dropping to his side, and nothing else but the tears on his face moved. Hero moved his attention to the crumpled comforter.

"I…know how you feel…Losing someone close is the hardest thing in the world. You feel like dying yourself, and nothing you say or do will _ever_ bring them back. But if you give up now, you'd just make them sad." Shaking his head, he added, "Your brother would agree, I'm sure. If he meant as much to you as you say he did, I know that you meant equally as much to him. So you can't just give up. You can't."

When he found the strength to look Tatsuya back in the eyes, he found that the boy was still silently crying, his eyes closed, but the tears were flowing more quickly down his puffy, red face. The teenager finally bowed his head and nodded. "I know," he said, words breaking. "I know that. It's just…"

Hero put a firm hand on his shoulder, startling the boy and causing him to open his eyes. "I don't want to be _just_ a stranger, Tatsuya. I want to be your friend. And if it helps any, think about Maya. She's feeling just like you right now. As men, we have to be strong to help her through this, too. Don't you think?"

"Maya…" Tatsuya's mouth fell open and he looked to the ground, as though he remembered something grave. "I never even thought about that. I can't believe I forgot."

"That's right. She's hurting too, you know. She may try to act strong, but if you could've seen her last night…"

"I know," Tatsuya used a sleeve to wipe at his face, followed by a large sniffle. "She and my brother were close. And I think…I think he had a deep respect for her as well."

_I see…_ Hero looked to the floor and saw a folder sticking out from underneath the bed. He didn't know what prompted him to do so, but he knelt down and grabbed it. The label of the folder read, "Hiiragi Therapy." Curious, he opened the folder and stared at the contents. _Strange…These are all appointment sheets and progress reports. Was Tatsuya's brother seeing a pyschiatrist? …Maybe I need to find that diary first and have a look at it myself._

"What?" Hero was snapped back to reality. "What's the matter?"

The blue haired youth began slowly, "Tatsuya…were you aware that your brother was seeing a psychiatrist?"

Tatsuya's eyes widened and he began to stammer, but nothing coherent came out.

Apparently, he hadn't been.

\/\/\/

Maya's steps grew heavier and heavier, her head drooped and her shoulders slouched. She couldn't remember when she had wandered into Hirasaka Ward, but whenever it had been, it must've been quite a while ago. Chief chewed her out, Yuki came in crying, and she was on a mission to find the whereabouts of Masakatsu Nakamura.

_Maybe that's why I'm here now. To find him._

She couldn't remember.

With every step she took, she saw Katsuya's face. Every second that passed by, she remembered Tatsuya's voice when he had called her. She remembered Ulala's words, how Baofu knew about what happened but kept to himself. Thoughts swirled up in her mind, knitted with confusion and questions she didn't expect to be answered.

How was she supposed to concentrate on her work now? Sure, she had a job to do, but now Tatsuya had no one. Was she supposed to take him in? What about poor Hero? He had been so much help already.

She didn't want to go to Katsuya's funeral.

_Katsuya…_ her hair hung in her eyes, but she didn't bother to push the loose strands away. _What happened to you? Not just at the ruins, but before that? Tatsuya said that you were so cold…so distant…I didn't notice? Well, I guess I couldn't have. We all split up after that. …Is that what friends do? Split up?_

She didn't know. Maybe the Tatsuya, Lisa, Eikichi, and Jun of the 'Other Side' had no choice, sacrificing their memories and friendships for her.

She flinched at that thought.

Maya wanted them all to be happy. This wasn't happiness. Something was missing. But…now…

She could've sworn she saw stars when she slammed into the back of someone and ended up on her butt. Pain fed through her head and she dropped her bag. Shaking the blurriness from her eyes, she barely made out a yellow coat with black hair. The figure turned around while she inattentively muttered apology after apology, and she thought she could catch the sudden whiff of cigarette smoke.

"Amano?"

It registered to Maya as quickly as the smoke had. Waving the thin haze from her face, she looked up and saw Baofu, his eyes hidden behind his trademark glasses, though he _did_ appear genuinely concerned.

"You!" forgetting about the pain that had been brought about by the fall, Maya reached over for her bag and struggled to stand. "Baofu, I have something to ask you." Maybe he knew what it was she wanted to say, because he didn't argue. "Is it _true_ you knew that Katsuya had died…and didn't even bother to _tell_ us!?"

"Amano," he began, slowly, "listen. Don't be like Serizawa now—"

"Just answer the question!"

He leaned back, silently, and the side of his mouth twitched. She caught sight of the cigarette in his right hand, burning away and the ashes dropping into the gutter of the sidewalk. _He's probably trying to find the best way to put this, something he's __**known**__ for doing. Well, it won't work on me!_

"Yes," he confessed. "I knew."

"_Why_ didn't you tell us?" her eyes narrowed and she leaned in to his retreating form. "You _knew_ how important he was to us and you were just going to let us believe that he was okay? What about Tatsuya? Did you _not_ care how this was going to affect him?"

"G-Give me a break here, Amano," he snapped back, but it was obvious that Baofu wasn't used to being yelled at by a _girl._ He had a hard enough time with Ulala as it was. "Fine. I'll be honest with you, but you _have_ to keep this between us."

"Depends," she said. "Don't start dictating to me what I can and can't do."

"I'm serious," he clenched his cigarette in his fist and let it crumple to the ground. When he saw that she was, too, he began, "I'm on a dangerous case right now. That's why I fired Ulala."

"What _kind_ of a case?" Maya folded her arms over her chest.

"Have you heard about the IC case?" She shook her head. "Then look it up. Make it a homework assignment for yourself. Anyway, it's a case that's been ongoing for the last four years. No one's ever been able to crack it. At one point in time, it was tied in with the recent Joker cases."

Maya quirked an eyebrow, "You mean…the ones with Tatsuya Sudou?"

"The one and the same. The murders have ranged all over Europe and Asia. But now, they're here in Sumaru." Maya held her hands to her mouth, gasping. Baofu continued, "The Chief asked me to check into it. You see…the Chief and I go way back to my prosecuting days. Whatever it was, I didn't want Ulala involved. So that's why I fired her."

"Why weren't you just _honest_ with her?" Maya asked, her tone rising. "I mean, she's not stupid, Baofu. She's saved your life a time or two, as with the rest of us. And she helped save the _world._ That's a feat in itself. You think she can't handle a little bit of—"

"Amano, I did what I did with reasons. Please don't try to make things worse."

"I'm not," she argued back, "But, Baofu, you really don't know how much you've hurt her here. She and I fight all of the time, and—"

He cut her off again, "Look, I'm not here to debate about it. I did what I did and I did it with _reasons._"

She snapped her mouth shut. _He doesn't want to admit that he cares about her. That's why he's doing this. He's afraid she'll get hurt._

"Anyway," he looked away from her, "someone died here in Sumaru. I wanted some reports to see if it was tied in with the IC case, but I couldn't get my hands on the reports directly…"

Then it clicked. Maya focused in more on him and said, "So _that's_ why you were looking for Katsuya the other day."

He nodded. "Right, but since he was in Lunarvale, I needed another way to get them. So I used Tatsuya."

Baofu must've been expecting a nasty reaction for messing with Tatsuya, and a nasty reaction he got. Maya screeched and immediately grabbed Baofu's shoulders, anger clouding her vision.

"_What_ did you _do_ to Tatsuya?" she barked.

"I dressed him up like Big Suou," he admitted, coolly. "Look, it all went okay. He—"

"You can't be _involving_ him in these little schemes of yours, Baofu. He's just a _kid._ And besides, if he remembers…"

"I really don't think that the IC case has to do with Nyarlathotep, Maya," he removed her hands from him and stepped back. "But let me finish this story already. Everything went okay. He _won't_ be in _any_ trouble, I can assure you." She was skeptical. "Just in case, though, I put a tap on the police station. Apparently, they weren't concerned with the stolen documents, though."

Maya's face scrunched up when she remembered what was coming next. "Katsuya…They were concerned about Katsuya…"

"I'm sorry that it had to be broken to you through Ulala, Maya, but—"

"It _wasn't_ Ulala who told me," she cut him off. "Tatsuya told me. And he was really broken up about it."

"I'd expect that. But…if you want my full opinion, Maya, I don't think he's dead."

She did a double take, as though she hadn't heard him properly, and held her hands to her head. _Not dead? Not…__**dead?**_"Not…Not dead?" her words came out as a meek whisper, and her eyes began to water.

"Yeah," he breathed. "It's just a…gut feeling I've got. I'm surprised you and the others didn't feel the same way."

"It's just…" Maya stopped to think about it. Why _hadn't_ she felt the same way? Baofu, of _all_ people, was the one who liked Katsuya the least, but was the only one who believed that he was still alive. Her eyes fell to trace the contour of the sidewalk pattern.

"You didn't stop to think about it because your initial reaction was the same as Tatsuya's. But you have to remember, Amano, Tatsuya is _not_ who he used to be. He doesn't know he has a Persona, and he _certainly_ doesn't know his brother has one either. I don't think it's that easy to kill Suou."

"I…want to believe you. I really do…But…"

"But if I turn out to be wrong and he's really dead…" He chuckled, "Pitiful."

"_Excuse _me?" her eyes turned into daggers.

"You fools all think with your hearts, not your heads. Fine, if you don't want to believe me, I won't push the issue. But just know that this is why I'm doing what I'm doing. And it's not changing, either."

"You're just so _stubborn,_ Baofu. Why do you _always_ have to be like that?"

He continued to chuckle, which made Maya madder. She clenched her fists and wanted to say something more, but a scream silenced both of them. Maya whirled around, caught off guard.

"What time is it?" she quickly asked.

"About four o' clock," he answered, looking in the direction from where the scream had broken their argument.

"It's coming from Kasugayama high school. It's after school hours, so no one should be in there," she turned back to him. "We'll settle this later, Baofu, but for now, I think we should check out what's going on with that scream."

"I guess you're right," he started past her, and Maya took on a quick jog until it turned into a full run.

Baofu ran alongside her down the street, passing nonchalant people on the street. She squeezed beside one and asked, "Why do you think no one's concerned about the scream?"

"They had to have heard it," he responded, sharing her trepidation. He whirled his head around to the oblivious people, most talking on cell phones or to each other. "…Right?"

Maya hugged the corner, the delinquent school for boys approaching on the horizon. She furrowed her brows, unable to answer her own question or Baofu's. _That scream really happened, right? How come no one else heard?_ Then it hit her. "Baofu…it's not that they aren't _alarmed,_ it's that they didn't _hear_ it."

He slowed slightly, trying to follow her train of thought. Then, creeping up on him like a fog, the idea began to make sense.

"We're at least four blocks from the high school. It would make sense that they didn't hear it. But then…" his eyes fell onto her, "how did _we_ hear it? We were too far away."

Maya halted altogether, grabbing her arm with her other hand, fiercely. "Persona Resonance…?"

"It can't be," he dared to say. "So that _wasn't_ a person we heard? Was it a Persona resonating with ours?"

"It's the only explanation. Otherwise we never would have heard that scream."

He chuckled, but it was dry and low. Baofu scratched at his head and then shook it. "I never thought I'd have to use this thing again."

"This is no time to be discouraged," she grabbed his arm. "Let's get to the school right away."

Dragging him behind her, Maya sprinted down the sidewalk, the soles of her boots rapidly clicking against the concrete. They ignored traffic lights, dodging in and out of cars. Some honked, others yelled out their car windows, and Baofu had to pull an eager Maya back onto the curve when a speeding car screeched around the corner.

After the exhaust plume cleared, Maya was back out into the street, despite the wire tapper's protests.

More aggressive now, Maya pushed people out of the way, Baofu on her heels, and she turned another corner. The high school was much more visible by this point, and he was relieved when the Coolest editor finally stalled and looked up to the rooftop.

He huffed and turned to her, "Isn't it odd that there's no one around? Not even a student coming out from detention."

She nodded, but walked toward the front door, leaving him behind. Rolling his eyes, Baofu fell into step with her, but he still kept a look out for anyone nearby. He couldn't shake the strange feeling that something was more amiss here than he had previously thought and was sure that Maya probably felt the same way. She pulled open the door and it creaked, an obvious sign of neglected care.

Baofu's hand fell to his side and he cursed. Being in this kind of environment brought back dusty instincts, but since there was no reason to carry his weapon around anymore, he was now left vulnerable and anxious.

Maya's eyes kept to the lockers before them, but she asked, "What's the problem?"

"I don't have my weapon."

Gasping, Maya's hands patted her hips, but found that she was in the same situation herself.

"Never mind," Baofu blew air through his lips. "Let's just be extra cautious. We can still use our Personas without our weapons."

"Right."

The two moved forward into the hallway, but no one was around. Maya peered down the other hall, but found that it was just as empty.

"Which way?" she asked.

Baofu sighed and closed his eyes to concentrate. Maya watched him, curious, but said nothing more. She caught his fist clenching from out of the corner of her eye and bit her lip. His head slightly moved, hair trailing behind him, and he peered down the left hallway.

_He looks so serious…_ Maya gripped her arm from across her chest. _Still thinking back to what he said earlier…Katsuya being alive…The reason why he fired Ulala…Should I believe him? It's not like he's known for telling the truth; it's the reason I was so against Ulala teaming up with him in the first place…_ Then, lifting her head toward the dimly-lit ceiling, _…But I __**want**__ to believe Katsuya's alive. Does Baofu know something that I don't?_

"My Persona Resonance is getting stronger coming from that way," he finally announced. Then, turning back to her, "Do you remember what's down that way?" He jerked his thumb down the left hallway, as though to emphasize his point.

"It _is_ a school, after all. Classrooms and lockers, of course!"

"You're not thinking clearly, Maya. Let this whole thing with Suou and Serizawa go and start thinking like a Persona User. You gotta pick up those old instincts again. Now, _what's_ down that way?"

She pulled her gaze away from him and began to think. _He's talking about four months ago. Not the world of __**now**__ but of four months ago…when rumors became reality…What was Kasugayama so feared for four months ago?_

"The bomb shelter is down that way," she finally said. "Is that where the Resonance is coming from?"

"You're a Persona User. You tell me."

Baofu could be such a jerk at times.

Quickly moving past him and keeping her anger bottled up, Maya started off down the hallway, the clicking made from her heels resounding in the hallway. She heard him start off after her, but she didn't soften her speed. Her anger toward him began to fade.

Slowly, she found her body trembling and sweating. Her heart was beating profusely and her breathing was uneven. Uneasily, she turned back around to Baofu, a familiar, yet horrifying, feeling washing over her.

"Y…You're right," she said after a moment of staring at him. "I can feel it."

"That's right. So we have some Persona Users in the basement going toward the bomb shelter. Are you prepared?"

"If they're hostile…" Maya trailed off and looked back to the dead end of the hallway. It looped around a corner and led down some stairs, if she remembered correctly.

"If they're hostile, we take them out. Come on."

Inattentively nodding, she began to walk again, hugging the corner and spotting the stairs that she had been anticipating. She crept down them, though she wasn't sure why she was being so stealthy. It pleased her when Baofu began to act the same way.

"Let's creep up on them," he whispered from behind her. "I want to know what it is that they're doing."

"All right," she agreed, moving one step at a time down the stairs. Her hand fell to the railing for support, and gripped it tightly. Her other hand found the wall, and slid down it as she descended. Baofu made hardly any noise behind her, and the only sound she could hear was his breathing, which was quite low at that.

Down at the bottom, Maya noticed the door that led into the basement. Around its edges was a glowing green aura, and the doorknob was lit up by its luminance.

"I knew it," she heard the wire tapper whisper. "I'm getting strong vibes coming from behind that door. And seeing as how it's glowing, I doubt that our Persona using friends are very friendly."

"You can tell that from a glowing door?"

"Any self-respecting Persona User wouldn't come to the school to practice their powers, after all. Unless it's to bully some kid."

"That's an active imagination…" Maya's hand hovered above the doorknob, "Still…I'm not getting any better vibes than you. Is it all right to open this door?"

"Lightly tap the handle," she did. "It's fine? Then it should be okay to open it."

_Sure,_ she frowned, but he couldn't see it. _So if we get shot at, I'll die first. Baofu's a great guy._ He moved in behind her as she soundlessly turned the knob and pushed it in.

The door didn't creak as much as she thought it would have, much to her relief, and she shuffled in, keeping most of her body behind the door. There was a row of desks lined up in front of the door, so she quickly abandoned her hiding position and ducked down behind a desk. Baofu imitated her movements, and used his heel to push the door back into a place where it didn't appear to be open.

Peeking through a crack between desks, Maya saw a circle of dark cloaked individuals. Squinting harder, she saw them circling something glowing in the middle of the room. Baofu leaned in behind her, and she could feel his breath against her.

"I wonder who they are," she mumbled.

"Shh…They're stopping…"

Giving her full attention, she saw that it was true. The figures had stalled in the middle of the room, facing toward whatever it was in the middle of the room. They gave some low grunts and muttered incoherent things, forcing Maya to lean in closer to hear.

"Wodahslive…Drayevarg…Htaedrou…Nisreh…Nomedrieht…" they began in unison, raising their arms to the ceiling. "An evil shadow lurks within the graveyard where our death is connected to her sin and we become their demon…We the Five Brass Petals…We the Five Brass Petals…"

"What kind of nonsense are they spouting?" Baofu shifted his weight, uncomfortably, and continued to watch. "Five Brass Petals? Demon? Amano, you getting any of this?"

She slowly shook her head, fully mesmerized by the dancing of the figures before her, who were continuing to chant in different languages and move in circles. _Her sin…Why does that seem so familiar? Not…déjà vu…right?_

"We the Five Brass Petals," they sang again, "will find Rhea, and she will dance to the waltz…"

_Rhea…_ Maya found herself slowly beginning to rise to her feet, clutching the spot on her chest that had always ached. The spot…where the fire had burned her… _Dance to the waltz…_

"Huh?" Baofu's head shot up to Maya, who was completely standing, lost in a daze. "Amano!" he reached up to grab her, but she was already moving forward, shuffling her feet.

As she approached, the figures stopped moving, catching the sound of Maya's movements. They turned, her eyes drawn to the glowing object in the middle. Two of the figures stepped back, silently allowing her to pass, and she leaned forward, still clutching her chest.

_It's glowing green…just like the door. What is this? _A figure was slowly becoming delineated as the glow faded, with dry, brown skin and shriveled features. As Maya continued to gaze at the figure, she realized that there were clothes on the figure. Dirty and torn as they were, it was easy to recognize them as Kasugayama apparel. But what really captivated her were the figure's eyes, and how they were pitch black, like two gaping holes. _Like…a mummy…_

She continued to walk forward to the shriveled figure, silently. She removed her hand from her chest and hesitantly reached out for the figure, drowning out the chants from in the background.

_Maybe it was a person before. Though, it doesn't even look like one. The nose is completely gone, the lips have curled back, and…is that something on its forehead…?_

"Rhea…you play our game…"

Maya's head turned and her eyes caught sight of one of the cloaked people reaching out for her. She made no movement to flee, curiosity getting the best of her, and waited to see what would happen. The gloved hand moved closer, and, from out of the corner of her eye, she could see the rest of them closing off the circle.

"Amano, you idiot!" with full force, she was torn away from the group and hidden behind a yellow bodied man. Shaking the dizziness from her head, thoughts raced back to her and she realized that Baofu was standing before her. "What the…" he finally said after a moment, obviously as captivated as she had once been.

Maya, now completely coherent, reached out and tugged on his arm, screaming his name and pulling him back. Though dead weight at first, he finally fell back against her, and the two took off to the door.

"The Mother Rhea…" one cloaked figure called out. "Persona Hades!"

Maya could feel the resonance explode from behind her and she screamed, burying herself into Baofu's back. She could hear him cursing and fumbling for the doorknob. It jiggled, and he tugged, but it wouldn't budge. Finding the strength to look up, Maya saw the blue glow from each cloaked figure, a Persona hovering above each of them.

"Baofu, do something!"

"I'm trying!" He jumped back, inattentively realizing that the result had knocked her back as well. "I'll bust down the door if I have to!" He kicked at it and rammed his body into it, but, the door wouldn't budge. "It must be those guys in the circle. They've locked it."

Maya regained her balance and stepped forward, fists balled and her eyes wide. "I'll try to buy us some time," she announced. "Get that door open!"

Baofu's head whirled around to see her, but Maya's Persona had already broken into the room, shielding her from an oncoming water attack, the pressure breaking away from her revealing that the attack was strong and that the opponent was probably stronger.

"Maybe I should consider the same thing," Baofu muttered, raising a hand to the door. "I don't like retreating, but five on two in such an enclosed space isn't a smart move…Maybe if we get them out into the open…" Prometheus appeared above his master, tackling the door and breaking it to the ground, effortlessly. The door splintered against the wall on the other side and landed in a tangled heap while Baofu turned and grabbed Maya, yanking her through the open hole.

From behind, the cloaked figures pursued them, still chanting, and leaping over the desks in their way.

"Baofu!" Maya shouted. "We can't just run away!"

"It would be stupid to fight them in an enclosed space like that," he tore up the stairs, the journalist following on his heels. "We have to get them out into the open!"

She didn't argue, but looked back to see their attackers coming up from behind. Baofu launched himself up the stairs, jumping to the top step, and then moved out the way for Maya. She attempted to imitate him, lunging to the top step, but tripped over her feet and released a grunt when her chest hit the angled part of the step.

Baofu didn't have time to react as one of the cloaked figures loomed over her, engulfed by his Persona. "Amano!" he called, out, fingers tense and ready to pounce, but found that his body wouldn't move. Maya instinctively cradled her head in the crooks of her arms, preparing for the impact.

"Dead Whip!"

Something shot past the wire tapper and singed the top of Maya's head. Hitting the attacker squarely in the chest, he was hurled down the steps and onto the others, piling onto one another and entangling each other. Their chants were replaced with grunts and shouts of pain. It gave Maya enough time to turn her head downwards, make sure she was safe, and then scramble up the stairs.

Baofu caught her at the top and pulled her to her feet.

"Now's our chance to stop them," he told her. "Let's perform a Fusion!"

She was just about to agree when her eyes caught sight of a bright light from below. Despite the foes' vulnerability, a spell had been cast upon them. Maya and the wire tapper shielded their eyes as a gust of wind overpowered their ears, and Maya did her best to hold her position without being blown back. She felt someone come up from behind, but could not turn her head to see who the presence belonged to.

She could hear Baofu curse under his breath and there was a rustling sound, but he held his stance nonetheless.

"Hold on, guys!" another voice came from behind. Hands were placed on Maya's shoulders and she stood there, trying to take everything in. She thought she knew the voice, but the wind chopped up syllables and words said after that, making it hard to pin a person down in her head.

At last, as though it would never stop, the light dimmed and the noise subsided. Baofu immediately lifted his head and peered down the stairs. He cursed loudly and bolted down the steps. Maya, forgetting about the person behind her, tore herself from the grasp and followed the wire tapper down the stairs, calling his name. Another set of steps followed her after that, and soon, three bodies filled the basement where the ritual had been taking place.

However, it was empty now. No chants, no cloaked figures, and no mysterious glow. Maneuvering his way around toppled desks, Baofu made his way to the center, where a shriveled body was buried within the concrete. Only from the chest up was visible, but it was impossible to tell the gender of the body. "Has to be a boy, though," he mumbled to himself, "if he's in Kasugayama High School…"

"What is it, Baofu?" Maya was behind him staring down at the body. A gasp escaped her mouth and she held her hands to her face.

"I thought standing there all that time, you would've realized that it was a body you were gazing at, Amano," he spat, eyebrows arched. "What were ya doing, anyway!? We were _supposed_ to be _observing!_"

Maya cowered, guiltily, and lowered her head. "I…I'm sorry…It's just…When I heard them say Rhea…"

"You were _compelled_ to see what was going on, right?" Baofu made a "psh," noise and shook his head. "So much for that…"

"Baofu!" she cried, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean—"

"Are you both all right?" the voice from behind cut off.

Both bodies whirled around, and Maya was surprised to find Hero Stonefield, arms crossed over his chest with a stern gaze reserved for both of them, standing there.

"Hero," she breathed.

"I'm glad I made it in time," he broke his intimidating stance and made his way over to their side. "Maya, you should be more careful."

"Huh?" Baofu blinked behind his darkly colored spectacles. "Amano…you know this kid?"

Maya ignored him, "Were _you_ the one who used a Persona back there?"

"What? Did you honestly not know that I was a Persona User?"

"No, I knew, it's just that…Well…I…"

Hero quickly turned to Baofu, "And I wouldn't go right away blaming Maya for what happened. As a Persona User, I've come into contact with others whose Personas have the ability to captivate those within the vicinity. It sounds like the guys you were dealing with had a bit of an idea of what they were doing."

Baofu grunted and looked back to the body in the ground. "There's a marking on his forehead. It reads 8XIC. That makes it the eighty-eighth IC victim in four years." Folding his arms, he observed, "Looks like it's a Persona using cult that's involved in these killings…Figures."

"The IC case," Maya blinked. "That's what you were talking about earlier, right?"

"Yeah…"

Hero cut in, "Let's get out of here before someone finds us and ties us in with this. The police will be here soon enough."

"And go where?" Maya asked.

Hero shrugged, "Well, I have my car parked out front. From the looks of it, we've got a lot to discuss."

"I'll say," Baofu chewed on the inside of this mouth. "All right, clowns, we'll head back to my place." To Hero, he said, "I'll give you directions."

\/\/\/

_Just __**where**__ the heck did he go!?_ Tatsuya Suou rode his motorcycle all up and down the ward, searching for the blue haired youth who had fled from his apartment only a short time before.

Worried, the teenager had hopped onto his bike and went riding.

He hoped everything was all right…

\/\/\/

Ulala was still hanging around Narumi Ward just as a car sped around the corner, nearly knocking her from where she stood on the sidewalk. She was about to turn and scream for the driver to slow down, but a certain raven haired friend caught her attention. She lost her words and found herself hurrying to see the company in the black car. Unmistakably, there was a gloved hand extending from a gold suit, holding a cigarette, hanging out the window, and she could see the reflection of blue hair from the side mirror.

Ulala was shaking, and so many questions formed in her mind. Quickly, she pulled out her cell phone.

\/\/\/

The obnoxious tune caught Maya off guard and she jolted under her seatbelt.

"Who's calling?" Hero looked in the rearview mirror at her.

"It's a text message," she said, digging into her purse for her cell phone. When she finally wrapped her fingers around it, she withdrew it and flipped the lid open. Pressing a couple of buttons, the message finally downloaded. "Oh…it's from Ulala."

She read the sentence and her smile faded.

_What are you doing with Baofu?_

\/\/\/

Finally some actual plot. Let me know how I did.

ML


	8. Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

**Disclaimer: **BAAAAAAAAHHHHH…

**A/N:** Sorry for the Fatal Frame reference, and how long it's taken to post this chapter. XD But Persona 2 Innocent Sin is being released in Japan for PSP! YAY! Hopefully it'll make its debut in America too. I dedicate this chapter to that hope ;-) There's also a scene with Nate that's a little OOC (You'll know it when you see it). I hope it doesn't put people off too badly. Just trying to personify the characters a little more. :-P Please don't flame me for it. I'm not gonna change it.

**\/\/\/**

**Dance to the Waltz**

**Chapter Eight**

**Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary**

**\/\/\/**

His friends were like any other high school students. Each had their own personalities and quirks that made them different. Take Nate Nanjo, for example. The kid was heir to the Nanjo estate, bossy, and demanding. He would laugh at the school library and the librarian, commenting on how pitiful St. Hermelin's library was in comparison to his. But he, like any other kid, enjoyed doing adolescent things. He would boast about his butler, Alfred, and how the two would play Codebreaker on the weekends, a typical kind of game that fit into the realm of gambling, but it was all innocent fun. They would even play card games together, which Nate thought made him very mature. When it came to anything else, like video games, which Hero and Mark both liked, Nate would always chastise them.

Other times, Alfred would take him to the ballet for edification. And though Alfred wished for the young master to involve himself in more sports to stay fit and healthy, Nate proclaimed that he hated P.E. Yuki would joke that it was because he couldn't do any sports himself, but Nate would shoot back that guys who did sports were all imbeciles. Kain was there that day too, but poor Kain couldn't even do a pushup. He made up for it in intellect though, and he was just as involved with strange myths than Ellen was with the occult. Silently though, Hero would agree that Nate was naïve to the outside world. He was clumsy at sports, and had never eaten junk food before because Alfred wouldn't allow it.

One time, when they had all gone to the ice cream shop, Nate wouldn't order anything, but anyone who was watching could see the curiosity in his eyes.

Then there was Mark, who loved dancing and would dance crazy whenever given the opportunity. He also was an artist and would graffiti the abandoned factory that he and his band practiced in. A jack-of-all-trades, but quite the troublemaker. The police knew him quite well, and Chief Hisashi Sakamoto spent a lot of time talking to him. He spoke often of one day living by himself, but Sakamoto would laugh every time, saying that irresponsible kids never moved out of their parents' house. Maybe that was one of the reasons Mark never liked his mother and referred to her as his "old lady" or an "old bag." Hero thought it was funny that he felt that way; Mark thought the world of Chris' mother.

It was no big secret that he had a huge crush on Mary, and never listened to anyone except for her. He was jealous that she liked Bruce, though, and was even _more_ jealous of the fact that Chris could get all of the girls without trying.

Mark was so insecure.

He and Yuki would always play at the Haunted House before Sebec tore it down and built their massive corporation on top of it. Nate never played there with the others, and it sometimes discouraged him when everyone else had stories to tell and he had none to share.

But despite Yuki's tough girl appearance, she was very feminine. Like Nate, she enjoyed ballet—the Nutcracker to be exact. And, like other girls her age, her weight and appearance was important, and she was careful about what she ate. Mark would laugh and call her a health food and diet fanatic. Photography always mesmerized her and she dreamed of studying it in Paris after high school.

Ellen asked her one day what had caused her to transfer to St. Hermelin in the first place, and Yuki said that she used to be a punk kid a part of a wannabe gang and used to get into trouble quite often. It finally came down to the decision that she either go to jail, or take up counseling. That's when Saeko Smith stepped in and helped the girl through her troubles. Always grateful, Yuki expressed her thanks by cleaning up her act and even getting a part-time job at the Yin and Yan supermarket to boot.

Ellen liked Yuki, but Yuki expressed to Hero that she didn't quite like Ellen as much, what with her "no fear" attitude, despite her innocent outlook. Yuki was very outspoken and never held back. Hero figured that as much once the girl admitted that she thought he was very weak. But she never had much in negative terms to say about Chris.

Chris transferred to St. Hermelin about six months before. He was quiet and always a loner, despite how many girls were after his heart. His mother was worried that he wouldn't make any friends, and he would skip out in most of his classes and sneak into places he wasn't supposed to be, like the sealed classroom on the second floor. Whatever Chris was up to, it always made Mark mad.

One day, the door was left open, and curiosity got the best of Hero and his friends. From within, there were sounds of shuffling papers and chairs scraping across the floor.

"Huh? What the?" Mark took the lead and peered in.

Someone was in the room.

Rolling up the sleeves of her uniform, Yuki forced a bit of intimidation in her voice and asked, "Who's there...?"

"Oh," Mark breathed and plodded forward. "Yo! Chris! What the heck are you doing here?"

Chris either didn't hear them or pretended not to see them. Hero thought that it was probably the latter. Finally, he turned around to face them. Scrutinizing them all over for a moment, he snorted at them and brushed past them, knocking Mark and Nate back as he passed. He didn't even close the door on his way out.

Nate cursed and adjusted the blue scarf around his neck that got wrecked when he was pushed. "What a rude punk!"

Though he was pushed, Mark didn't appear as upset as Nate was. "That's his style."

Yuki tapped her cheek. "Didn't he move into town right after Sebec moved in?"

Then, as though something about that idea struck Mark in a bad sense, he jumped back, grabbing his hat, and shouted, "What's up with him! I think he's training to become a hitman or something."

"What was he doing in a place like this?" Nate gazed at the spot where Chris had vanished from. He appeared lost in thought, like much of the rest of them were.

Mark's biggest concern was about Mary, who liked Bruce—a kid in their grade. He figured that if he could be cool like Chris, Mary would notice him more. Some even speculated that Mark's interest in art arose when he saw Mary's masterpiece painting, "Gate to Paradise." Mary was an amazing artist, respected by many of her classmates, and jealous by others. Selina was one of the jealous ones and went out with Bruce specifically because Mary liked him.

During science class Hero overheard a couple of students talking behind him. One girl was extremely depressed and her friend was trying to console her.

"Why don't you just forget about Bruce? He eloped with his girl! It's already been two months since they both disappeared!"

"No! It's a lie!" the depressed girl swatted her friend's hand away. "Bruce is just being tricked by Selina!" Then, hunching over and burying her head in her hands, Hero heard her mumble, "I don't even know _how_ she _got_ him in the first place...I just know that it's not her personality...because it sucks!"

Yuki, who was sitting next to Hero, must've heard the girl from behind because she said, "I was pretty surprised when I found out that those two started going out! I don't think Selina even _liked_ Bruce. The girl who _really_ liked Bruce was M—" Yuki's eyes widened and she suddenly stopped. "Hey!" she shoved her paper over to Hero, "So, tell me how to balance this equation, would you? It's a tough one."

Confused, Hero said nothing more, but Nate and Mark, who were sitting ahead of Yuki and him, glanced back.

"You're talking about Selina?" Nate asked. They both nodded. "Actually, I can't really say that Selina was a cool person…It seemed like she was always trying to show off that she was going out with Bruce."

Mark chuckled, even though he knew that Mary had the hots for Bruce. "I hate saying this," he finally said, "but Bruce was a pretty cool dude...He had so many girls!"

Or maybe it was because Bruce had Mary wrapped around his finger.

But most were true friends, like T.J., Mary's best friend. T.J. was poor, but Mary never looked down on her. She also worked part-time to help her family out and buy clothes for her little brother.

Tammy was a good friend of Hero's, and transferred to the school as well. She ranked third on the fencing team and was much better than most of those pitted against her from other schools. However, the one thing about Tammy that remained a mystery to everyone was her previous school, which she didn't like to talk about. Whether or not something happened, Tad liked to make fun of her about it.

One day while Hero and Yuki were visiting, she and Tad were in the middle of one of their infamous arguments.

"Hey you! Why are you so messy? Clean up your mess!" Tammy put her hands on her hips and shot a glare at Tad.

Tad adjusted his glasses and looked over at the pile of gear he had thrown to the floor. Finally, he glanced back to her, "I can't hear you…Plus, I do what I want. Why do you whine about everything, Tammy?"

She snorted and turned to gaze at all of the pictures above his locker. Shaking her head, she said, "What _is_ all this? I'm taking these pictures down! They're in poor taste!"

Reaching up, she began to tear at all of the posters, crumpling them up and tossing them aside. Jumping up from his seat, Tad darted in front of her, pulling a poster from her grasp, "What are you _doing_ to _my_ goddesses!"

"What do you mean _goddesses,_ you pervert!" Tearing the poster back, Tammy shouted, "Pervert, pervert, _pervert!_"

Letting go of the poster, Tad guarded what few posters he had left on the wall. "Gee, you're so ugly! Ugly, ugly, ugly, ugly!"

"Ugly! Why you—"

Trying to keep his compose and not feel embarrassed for the both of them, Hero leaned over and whispered, "Should we try to stop them?"

Yuki socked him in the arm and Hero yelped. "Leave them alone!" she scolded. "They fight because they like each other."

"Owww…"

But…things changed after that voice called to them…After they played Persona…Things were different…

Saeko Smith insisted that they all be checked for concussions or other injuries that could have befallen them after they collapsed. She was like that. Yuki said that she worried too much, and maybe she was right.

…Just maybe…

But if they hadn't gone to the hospital that day…

"Let's go," Yuki said. "We'll go see Mary."

\/\/\/

"That Serizawa," Baofu leaned over to pour some bourbon into a shot glass. He offered it to Hero, who respectfully declined, so gave it to Maya. He was a little surprised to see her take it and down it. She didn't seem like a bourbon drinker. "Leave it to her to catch us at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"I wouldn't call it the wrong time," Hero watched as their only female companion placed the empty shot glass on Baofu's messy desk. "You said that she's a Persona User too, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Maya hesitantly affirmed. "I wonder what she was doing all the way out in Narumi Ward though."

The wire tapper laughed. "Probably looking for me."

His laugh prompted a frown from Maya. He coughed and quickly sobered up.

"So," Hero found his way to Baofu's moth-eaten couch. "Who wants to go first?"

"Probably you," Baofu took a seat in his swivel computer chair. He turned it to face the party and reached into his breast pocket for a cigarette. Maya flinched when he bowed to light it. "After all, you've been a Persona User with the most understanding the longest. You know the rich kid and the model, right?"

"Rich kid…?"

"Nanjo."

"Oh, yeah. I know him."

"And Ellen Kirishima," Maya added.

Hero nodded. "We all went to Lunarvale together. Much like you, we were normal kids until a certain incident changed our lives forever."

"In short, this incident included one Guido Kandori, right?" Baofu took a long drag and exhaled, swirls of smoke encircling his head. "They filled us in mostly on what happened there."

"Then I won't have to repeat it," Hero shrugged. "At the end of everything we graduated and went our separate ways. I find it almost amusing that everyone ended up here in Sumaru."

"Call it fate?" Maya suggested.

The blue-haired youth threw in, "Or a coincidence?"

"I doubt it," Baofu tapped the stick against the lip of the ashtray. "There are way too many 'coincidences' or signs of 'fate' to make this all a reality. There's a game going on here and everyone of us are players in it."

"That seems most likely." Hero shifted his position on the couch. "I can't speak for my other companions, but I decided to stall in life for a bit and travel around the world."

"That's right, your parents are rich." Maya turned to Baofu, "He's a Stonefield, you know."

Baofu sat still. "…Never heard of them."

"It's an American name," Hero smiled. "I don't expect you to know anything about us. Anyway, I traveled the world for the past four years."

"And you ended up in Sumaru by coincidence?" the wire tapper leaned forward, the cigarette in between his fingers again.

"Not quite. My family owns a penthouse here."

"You sure it's not just a second home you're ashamed to tell us about?"

"Hardly. I'm not ashamed of my heritage or my social status."

Maya giggled and turned to Hero, "It's all right to tell him the truth you know. He's a friend of mine. We helped save the world together."

There was a pause and, though Hero still looked wary about it, finally said, "All right, it's a second home."

"What a stupid thing to lie about," Baofu chuckled and stole another drag from his cigarette.

"You'd be surprised at the robbers and kidnappers who _will_ differentiate between a penthouse and a second home."

"So I'm a _robber_ then?"

"Baofu…" the irritation dripping in Maya's voice wasn't meant to be mistaken as any other tone of voice.

Sobering up, Baofu tapped the stick against his ashtray and asked, "So then you're here on vacation?"

"Call it that."

"I want you to tell us why you're really here."

Hero leaned back and smiled. "The IC Case you remarked about earlier has made its way to Sumaru. You're not the only one interested in it."

A smile cracked at Baofu's face. "_Now_ we're getting somewhere."

Maya looked back and forth between the two several times. She stayed silent, realizing for the first time that there was a lot she really didn't know.

"I've been looking into it for a long while," Hero confessed, "since it first started you could say. The murders have been reoccurring in Sumaru and my family has a second home here, so I decided to take the time to investigate it myself."

"Seems pretty shady," Baofu took another drag. "You know something we don't?"

Hero's attention diverted and then his eyes fell on Maya. "As you've already witnessed, they're Persona Users, just like you and me. But in the form of a cult."

"Do we know what the name of this cult is?" Baofu left the still smoking stick in the ashtray and stood up, shoving his hands into his pockets. "They kept saying 'we the Five Brass Petals,' so maybe that's it?"

Hero nodded. "Wodahslive, Drayevarg, Htaedruo, Nisreh, and Nomedrieht…" He caught the older man's stare and added, "I heard them chant that in the room that you and Maya were in."

Baofu seemed to relax, "So you were there the whole time, huh? What do you think those words meant?"

"Search me. Latin? Another language maybe?"

"Pig Latin perhaps. Heh, I may not be fluent in many languages, but I'm fluent enough to know that those words are more like gibberish or even tongues before I'd declare them another language. Each language has its own distinct way of pronouncing things. Those words don't seem to follow any kind of rule."

"True," Hero brought a fist up under his chin. "Say, do you remember what they said _after_ they chanted those words?"

"Er…" Baofu turned away. "Something about an evil shadow."

"An evil shadow lurks within the graveyard where our death is connected to her sin and we become their demon." All eyes focused on Maya, who rose from her seat and took a step forward. "We the Five Brass Petals…We the Five Brass Petals…"

"Wow…" Hero breathed.

"She's good." Baofu pulled a hand from his pocket and asked their female companion, "Hey, Amano! How'd you remember that? You were locked in a trance the whole time."

"Maybe that's _how_ she remembered it," Hero interrupted. "When in any kind of trance, certain senses are peaked, depending on the situation. Maybe hers were attuned to that particular chant."

Maya seemed to like that answer. She nodded and continued, pleased that she could be of some use in this conversation, "We will find Rhea, and she will dance to our waltz. I remember that as they said that, my chest began to hurt—the spot where the fire had burned me on the 'Other Side.'"

It was the blue haired youth's turn to become confused. "The 'Other Side?' What's that?"

Baofu turned to him, "We'll explain that in a minute, for now…" his eyes shifted back to the reporter, "…tell us what else you remember from that scenario."

"That's about it," she shrugged and then something flickered in her head. "Except for that small bit when you and I were trying to escape and one of the cloaked men shouted 'Mother Rhea!'"

"Oh…that's right, huh?"

"I wonder who this Mother Rhea is," Hero vocalized.

With a snaky smile, Baofu stepped closer to Hero. "My dear friend, how was it that _you_ came to know where we were?"

Uncomfortable by the sudden closeness, Hero scooted away, frowning. "Don't think that _I _knew you were there. I told you already, I've been tracking this cult for a while."

"You think they're somehow connected to Lunarvale's events?"

"I'm not sure at the moment, but I _do_ know that they began right after."

"What did they mean by 'dance to our waltz?'" Maya's question distracted the two males, and they both were silenced. "Well? Come on, you guys have _no_ ideas at all? …Whatsoever?"

"…Well," Hero changed the topic, "at least we know who the murderers are for the IC case, huh? That victim back at the school was the eighty-eighth victim. Probably a student from Kasugayama."

"You think the victims and the cult are connected?" Baofu asked. Maya was discouraged that her question had been disregarded and shuffled back against a wall.

"It's not uncommon for a cult to sacrifice one of their own for a ritual." Hero brushed a lock of hair that had fallen into his eyes. "You've heard about those Shinto murders quite a number of years ago, right?"

"Ah, you mean the headmaster of that huge mansion who murdered maidens because he thought he could stop hell from passing through?" Baofu chuckled. "Yeah, what a nut job."

"There _are_ incidents like that, but since there have been murders all over for them…"

"It could be an expansive cult. And who's to say that those five quacks are responsible for all eighty-eight? After all, I mean, the N.W.O. was a part of the Taiwanese Mafia and there were connections all over."

Hero paused long enough to chew on the idea. But something didn't sit quite right with him. He chose to say nothing about it, however. "Doesn't matter if it's the mafia or my next-door neighbor. They're Persona Users. They can only be defeated _by_ Persona Users."

Baofu exhaled while Maya only watched. The wire tapper shook his head and turned away from the other two.

"Yeah, you're right about that one. So since we're the only three that know the truth about all of this, what do we do? Rally up our Persona Using friends and band together against these guys? Or keep it to just us three?"

"We have no idea how powerful this cult _really_ is," Hero pointed out. "If they have been able to get away with eighty-eight killings _thus_ far, that's gotta grant them **some** kind of authority. I mean, think about it, Baofu."

Maybe the long-haired man **was** thinking about it. Or maybe he wasn't. He just stood there, back turned, for quite some time and said nothing. The only light that was emitting in the room was the ever-changing screensaver on his screen with flowers and other pretty things.

"Has Maya told you how we all came to be?" he finally asked.

"No."

"Are you aware of the Joker murders?"

"Yes."

Slowly turning, Baofu seated himself back in the swivel chair and grabbed his now dead cigarette. He brought the lighter out from his breast pocket and relit it. He took a long, drawn-out drag before saying, "I'm a former prosecutor. I was hunting the Taiwanese Mafia with my partner before a terrible accident occurred, taking her life and awakening my Persona abilities. The mastermind behind the whole project was the Japanese Foreign Minister, Tatsuzou Sudou. Sick suck, really. Threw his son to the wolves and his son became the mass murderer known as 'Joker.' Rumors becoming reality. People killing other people. Then the N.W.O. stepped onto the scene once Amano and I wiped out Tasuzou's kid."

"Just _you_ and _Maya?_" Hero asked, skeptically.

"Heh, nah. We also had Serizawa, the crazy one—" Maya coughed loudly at that remark, "—and that cop who was just declared dead on our side."

"Katsuya," Maya's eyes narrowed.

"I've heard about Katsuya," the youngest admitted. "I didn't realize that he was a Persona User as well."

"Ha, hard to imagine that Serizawa is too, huh?" Baofu leaned back in the swivel chair, causing it to creak under his weight. Maya's frown intensified. "Anywho, it wasn't long afterward that we met up with your buddies, Nanjo and Kirishima. They connected the mafia's doings to Guido Kandori and that sent us on our long quest of bad guy hunting. To make a long story short, we found out what was causing rumors to become reality."

"And what was that?"

Leaning forward with a smile, the wire tapper answered, "The Ameno Torifune. It had enough energy to permit such a thing to happen. And that wasn't all. The **real** mastermind who was controlling even Tatsuzou Sudou was an entity who called himself Nyarlathotep."

Hero flinched, Maya's eyes fell to the floor.

"Uh…this Nyarlathotep…" but Hero couldn't finish.

"Found out that he and Philemon—you know who Philemon is, right?" Hero nodded. "Philemon and Nyarlathotep had this big bet going on in this plane called the 'Other Side.' Something stupid like if humans could become their own person or forever flow with the tide. Really stupid. It took five other kids to figure that one out."

"Six," Maya corrected and her eyes became fixated on Hero. "Yuki was a part of that team."

"You mean…she fought alongside with _you?_" Hero sank back into his chair.

"Not on 'This Side,' Hero. On the 'Other Side.' The 'Other Side' is parallel to this side, except that different events occurred on the 'Other Side' that didn't on 'This Side.' For example, on the 'Other Side,' Yuki and I were investigating the Joker curses, not the Joker murders. Tatsuya, Katsuya's little brother, was leading us at that time."

Hero appeared confused, but only said, "I thought I could feel Resonance in him. But…he didn't appear to notice it, so I said nothing."

"That's because he _doesn't_ know he's a Persona User anymore. And we need to keep it that way." At the boy's quirked eyebrow, Maya explained, "Yuki, Tatsuya, a few others and myself eventually came upon the discovery of who was behind the Joker Curses and why. The one called Nyarlathotep. The star of Pleiades and Maia. _I _was the connection behind everything. Nyarlathotep wanted to destroy the world, save Sumaru, and create a world under his bidding." There was a sudden silence and Maya forced herself to take a deep breath. She choked as she admitted, " I _died_ on the 'Other Side,' Hero, and the world was forever left in shambles.

"In order to prevent the same catastrophe from happening again, Philemon made a deal with Tatsuya and the others. They would have to forsake their memories of ever meeting one another in order to bring me back to life and save the world."

The boy seemed to be in quite a state of shock, for he said nothing for quite a while after Maya had finished her sentence. He fumbled with his fingers and looked back and forth between the wire tapper and the reporter. Finally, he asked, "And is…that 'This Side?' The one that you and I live in now?" Maya nodded. "And…how have _you_ come to know all of this if everyone has forgotten their memories?"

"Well…Philemon told them that if they were ever to rediscover their memories, the two worlds would merge into one and become destroyed. Fully understanding this, everyone willingly gave up their memories and chose to live in their new world." Maya stopped for a moment. "…Except Tatsuya. The events had been too much for him alone to bear, and to forget them would have meant forgetting everyone in the process. Since he broke the promise and refused to forget, he became what everyone called the 'Paradox Boy.' After our comrades on 'This Side' discovered the identity of Nyarlathotep, Tatsuya took us to Mt. Iwato, where all of our memories were renewed, and I was restored with the life of the 'Other Side.' Now carrying both worlds with me, I was putting 'This Side' and the 'Other Side' at risk.

"Nyarlathotep _had_ to be destroyed, no matter what. Now armed with Tatsuya of the 'Other Side,' Nate and Ellen left to help gather the residents and prepare them while we went to face the final battle."

"We won, obviously," Baofu grinned and Maya rolled her eyes, slightly happy that _somebody_ had broken the seriousness in the conversation.

"That we did," she laughed and was happy when Hero did, too. "But that meant that Tatsuya had to go back to the 'Other Side,' leaving the Tatsuya on 'This Side,' without any recollection of what had happened. That's the Tatsuya that _you_ know now."

"It was a little strange, too," Baofu leaned back in his chair. "Technically, Sumaru City had been taken into Nyarlathotep's little space world, destroying the rest of earth. He was trying to recreate a version of the 'Other Side.' Narumi Ward was newly built on 'This Side,' and thus destroyed along with the rest of the world. I've always found it to be pretty funny that it was restored after the catastrophe, but I sure as hell would've missed my little hideaway if anything had happened to it."

"True," Maya turned to him. "Narumi Ward is actually a pretty little spot. I'm glad that it didn't go too far after everything was resolved."

Hero nodded, though Maya wondered if he truly had a full grasp on what she was saying. He seemed fazed enough, but not as much as the reporter had expected. The ends of his mouth turned and he shook his head. Maybe he didn't understand after all.

But then he asked, "If you still carry the memories, Maya, then won't that put both sides in jeopardy nonetheless?"

Her eyes shifted, his question stirring anxiety within her. While it was _true_ that her knowledge of the 'Other Side' put 'This Side' at risk, the catastrophes had definitely subsided from when the Other Tatsuya had been around. What was the reason?

"I think the jeopardy isn't as great as it was when the physical form of the Other Tatsuya had been around," Baofu intervened. "Maya may know about her other self, but her physical form is on the side she belongs to. Tatsuya of the 'Other Side' didn't belong to this side."

With better understanding, Hero nodded, "Ah, I see."

There was another pause before Baofu dropped the remainder of his cigarette into the ashtray and stood up. "I think we're pretty caught up to speed then, wouldn't you say? You know who we are and how we got here and vice-versa. The only thing we have to ask of you is to never mention any of this to Tatsuya."

"You got it."

"Also," Baofu reached into his pants pocket and withdrew a small card between two fingers. "Since we're going to be working together, you might as well get my number. Here's my card."

He tossed it over to the younger man, who caught it with both hands. Bringing the small card up to his face, Hero squinted, silently reading over the contents. "Wire tapper, huh? Quite a change from a prosecutor."

"I'm a man-searcher, too," Baofu added. "But right now, I'm searching for a little more than small fry. I think it's safe to say that the three of us are the only ones who know about this cult. It's a _huge_ breakthrough in the IC case, but, as you said earlier, these guys can't be tamed by any other than us Persona Users."

"So then we rally up the others, right?" Maya chimed in.

Baofu shook his head. "That's probably the worst thing we can do right now, Amano. We can't afford to scare these guys off to a different part of the world. We gotta corner them and _then_ strike." He chuckled a bit and blew a loose strand of hair from his face. "Besides, we get others involved, there's no telling what will happen. People will want to rush off and do things on their own instead of thinking things through. In turn, that'll endanger everybody else. We can't have that happening."

Ulala.

He was talking about Ulala.

"Baofu," she swallowed. "You _know_ that's not true. If we get everyone together—even Hero's friends—"

"I said _no._"

The harsh way he spoke to her made Maya flinch. There was the sound of Hero exhaling, and Baofu gave Maya his full attention.

"But…why?" she asked, almost too quiet for anyone to hear.

"I already told you how I feel about it, Amano. Now, I'm asking everyone here to swear an oath _not_ to involve anyone else until we figure out what's going on. I mean it. I don't need the extra baggage. Suou already made an idiot of himself by rushing into things. We can't afford to lose anything else. Anyone not willing to follow through can just get lost now."

Maya watched the other man intently. It wasn't like Baofu to make such a request. The man normally kept to himself and never cared about what happened to anyone else. But the fact that he brought up Katsuya and Ulala _meant_ something. Baofu wasn't kidding around.

"All right," she agreed. "I promise that this will be between the three of us."

Maya wanted to laugh out loud when she saw the wire tapper sputter. Hero looked back and forth between the two of them, and Baofu scratched his head.

"I thought I was going to have to rough you up a little more, Amano! You're _sure_ about not telling Serizawa?"

The reporter shrugged. "You're right. We've already lost Katsuya, whether your prediction of him being alive is right or not. I couldn't bear to lose Ulala or even Tatsuya."

"Same here," Hero's eyes hit the floor. "I lost someone to those same ruins." Maya gasped and Baofu coughed. "I'm in on the promise."

"_You,_ Hero!" Maya stepped toward him. "I heard that someone else was killed inside of those ruins at about the same time as Katsuya. Was that…"

"Mark Inaba. He was a good friend of mine and helped us stop Guido Kandori all those years ago." The youth shook his head, "I couldn't stand it if those such as Nate and Ellen got involved."

"Kid's got a point," Baofu crossed his arms. "All right then, crew. Game plan."

Hero pushed himself from up off the couch. "Not much we _can_ do until those guys show up again."

"Not true, I think something can be found in that student they murdered." The older man smiled, "Course, the police have already gotten their smarmy fingerprints all over the place by now. Gotta be another way to get some reports."

"You going to try and tie the victims together?"

"Of course! Best place to start, huh? In the meantime, you two go about on your lovely business as though nothing's wrong. But if you find something, give a call."

"Baofu's acting like a real leader," Maya giggled. "This is a side of him I don't mind seeing."

The wire tapper fidgeted, but said nothing. Hero offered Maya a ride back to her apartment, since it was getting late, and she agreed. Baofu let them out and waited for them to get to the car before shutting the door and trudging back down to his lair. He sighed and rubbed two gloved fingers against his temples. Then he shook his head and ventured to a lone cabinet to search for whiskey.

He declared a silent victory and popped open the bottle. Without even bothering for a glass, he took a mighty big swig that cleared out his nostrils and made his throat burn. Still, it was enough to warm his body and he left the bottle on some makeshift countertop in the corner of the room.

Baofu stood there for a moment, hands in his pockets, and thought bitterly to himself about how things were going. He hoped that Katsuya would make an appearance soon, for Tatsuya and Maya's sake. He was intrigued by this newcomer, Hero, and how much _he_ knew about the IC case. The wire tapper had a gut feeling that there was more to the story than the boy was telling. Just a…gut feeling. And the fact that he knew the other victim inside of the Lunarvale Ruins posed another problem.

"Too many 'coincidences' for this to be just a mere case." He smiled and repeated, "We're all just pawns in this stupid game."

But where to start?

He knew Maya wouldn't break her promise and tell Ulala about the whole mess. Hell, he knew the reporter loved the woman just as much as any of them. Getting _her_ involved spelled 'trouble.' And he couldn't predict a man he had met not even three-and-some-odd hours ago. But if he was very much acquainted with Nate and Ellen, whom Baofu had respect for, he couldn't be _all_ bad.

"Just wonder how he's linked to Maya," he pulled one hand out from his jacket to scratch the small beard that had silently begun to grow in. "She knows him well enough. I'll leave it at that and see what happens."

He was still lost in thought when he turned around, the screen of his computer flashing from the screensaver. Baofu was looking forward to seeing a scantily-dressed woman to cheer him up…

…until some nasty flowers and trees and what-the-hell-ever greeted him instead.

He got angry, knowing that Ulala had successfully broken into his apartment.

…Then he became worried.

Quickly leaning over to study the mess next to his computer he mumbled, "She ain't gonna come in here for nothing. That hot-tempered thief is gonna be in here snooping like she always does and will find…"

…will find the folders to the IC case that he had been so careful in protecting…

…which meant…

He cursed when he found the scattered mess under some other papers, knowing damn _well_ that he had _not_ placed his expired car registration on top of the manila envelope securing the precious documents of his latest finds.

Sinking to his knees, Baofu groaned loudly, thoughts of Ulala taking over the IC case plaguing his mind.

How much did she know?

Did she catch on?

"Of _course_ she caught on," he scolded himself. "Serizawa is a dingbat who's not a real redhead and dyes her hair to get attention, but she ain't _stupid._"

There was only one thing left to do now—_especially_ if she had access to those files.

He reached for his cell phone and dialed her number, having absolutely _no_ idea as to what he would say to her when she picked up.

…_If_ she picked up…

\/\/\/

Nate Nanjo smoked his very first cigarette when he was fifteen years old. He had watched three seniors in the courtyard stealthily take a few puffs from their sticks before putting them out on the ground. Two of them stuffed the evidence into their uniforms while the other tossed the cigarette into a bush. After they had left, and making sure that no one else was around, the rich boy crept back to the bush. He scoured the ground for the burned out prize, and crammed it into his coat pocket.

He felt very awkward in his quick and unprepared movements, but decided to keep walking and hope that no one had seen him there. He had already prepared the lighter, but buying cigarettes were very unbecoming.

But wasn't it sort of a filthy habit to smoke someone else's cigarette?

Well, then again, smoking in general was a filthy habit—one that Nate had been against from the very beginning. It took a great deal of pressure to finally break him down to start.

It all began with the fight with his father the night before. His sixteenth birthday was coming up and all he had wanted was for some quality time between him and his family.

With an indifferent shake of his head, the great and powerful papa Nanjo replied, "Absolutely out of the question, son. There's the problematic issue of the Nakatashi business deal that needs closing. We could lose out on millions."

"I'm sorry your money means more than I do," the heir spat back.

The fight continued on for another three or four minutes before Alfred had come to collect the young boy and take him off to bed. But although the fight had ended and Nate had been escorted back to his room, the issue of sleep was moot. He spent the rest of the night awake and angry.

The worst part was the math exam he had in first period.

Nate was a bright boy, but he wasn't perfect, and definitely didn't know everything. It was Chapter 14, Section 3.5 that earned him a perfect C on the test. And since Chapter 14, Section 3.5 made up more than half of the test, there was no doubt in the boy's small head that he was, indeed, royally screwed.

"I can't believe I overlooked studying for that part of the test," he mumbled when he saw the score outside of the classroom later that afternoon. He was even more embarrassed when he caught several of his peers giggling and darting their attention in his general direction. "Blast! If only I hadn't gotten into a fight with father! If he hadn't made me so angry then—!"

Ah, what was the use?

He blew it. It didn't matter whose fault it was.

Nate continued around the corner and toward the abandoned factory. He figured that no one would be there at this time of day, at least, not until dusk hit. That's when all of the troublemakers came out, like Mark. He crept around the backside of the building and hid himself in between the shadows along the wall.

Sinking backwards against the cold concrete, Nate cautiously glanced around to see if anyone was watching. He breathed in deeply, but a knot was still in his stomach, even as he reached into his breast pocket to retrieve the half-smoked cigarette. With his other hand he pulled out the lighter.

He wasn't even sure why he was doing this or why he felt like he had such an urge. Maybe it was to rebel against his father and his horrible parenting ways. Maybe it was because Nate was trying to find some way to relieve the tension in his small, yet stress-lived life. He really wasn't sure.

He fumbled with the cigarette and it fell out from between his fingers twice. When he tried to put it between his lips he squeezed the stick so hard that it crumpled, but not enough to render the cancer stick unusable. After a few unsuccessful attempts at trying, he managed to put the cigarette between his lips and brought the shaky hand containing the lighter up to the stick's end. He sparked the lighter twice and the wind blew it out, so he changed his angle and tried to strike the flame from the lighter again.

Nate was becoming even more discouraged that he couldn't even light a damn cigarette right. Hunching over and bringing the lighter closer to his mouth, he could feel the heat as the stick successfully lit and the burning smell of nicotine swirled around him.

He coughed and cringed.

But the idea of doing something he wasn't supposed to excited him, in a demented sort of way. His father would be so angry if he knew. Mother too. But after he got over the putrid smell, it got easier to perform the actions of smoking a cigarette—inhaling to exhale.

It burned his throat, and his nostrils flared. Once, while attempting to exhale, he got smoke in his eye. That stung more than he had thought it would, and he brought the cigarette away from him. But it wasn't long before he was trying it again. And after a few tries, it didn't seem so hard anymore. The sensation was new, and the swirls of smoke circled around him, lingering for a while. He was unfamiliar with the taste in his mouth, and ran his tongue over his teeth.

He wondered if it was true that cigarettes helped calm people down. Nate knew that he was feeling better, but wasn't sure if it was from the effects of the cigarette or his own psychosomatic thoughts. Either way, things didn't seem half as bad now, and he felt like he was getting away with something terrible.

For once, that didn't seem so bad, and Nate finished the cigarette off smugly.

When he got home, he became slightly alarmed that his clothes still carried the stench of the cigarette. In his mother's wonderfully aroma-smelling home, he knew she would be able to pick out what didn't fit in her presence quite easily. He slipped the clothes off, personally hand-washed them, and then went to go and take a shower. Nate tried his hardest to avoid the members of his household for the rest of the night.

For two weeks Nate carried out his treacherous act of defiance. Every day after class, he would furtively search for refried cigarettes and take them out behind the abandoned factory. At first the tradition seemed to work out fine until one day Nate spotted Mark walk into the abandoned factory.

He found a new place to conduct his glamorous sin.

At the end of the two weeks, Nate was at home when another fight broke out between him and his father. Certain that no one was out in the courtyard, the young heir wandered out into the middle of the courtyard, and proceeded to smoke a cigarette he had found outside the school earlier that day. He had begun to feel calmer, and his body sunk into one of the gaudy benches that his mother had set out for her guests during her monotonous tea parties.

He let the smoke engulf and overwhelm him, his nerves calming and his breathing evening out. Letting his arm dangle over the side of the bench, he lowered his head and cleared his mind. Nate hated getting into fights with his father, and they seemed to happen more and more, especially as of late. Bringing his hand up for another drag, his ears perked up at the sound of a soft noise tapping against the cobblestone leading out into the courtyard.

Panicking, Nate leaned over to smash the cigarette into the ground, and then stomped on it. Jumping up, he smoothed out his uniform, pushed back his hair, and straightened his glasses.

But Alfred was already standing there.

No doubt, Nate knew, that the old butler could smell the painful trademark that became a Lucky Strike cigarette.

A wave of nausea overcame Nate, and the boy's dreadful actions came back to haunt him as his beloved butler stared down upon him. What was Alfred thinking? Was he disappointed? Of course he was disappointed. What a silly thing to question. But would he lecture the boy? Or, worse, would he tell mother and father? Either way, Nate knew that he had let Alfred down.

And that was one thing he had never, _ever_ wanted to do to Alfred. Ever.

The silence was eating at him. Nate wasn't sure what he could do. There the evidence was, smashed under his shoe, but the nicotine smoke was still in the air, on his clothes, on his breath, and in his hair. Nate couldn't talk himself out of this one. All that came next were the excuses.

But Alfred had raised him better than that. No way that the old man was going to let him off easy. Nor would Nate want him to. The Nanjo heir was willing to take whatever punishment that was going to be extended to him.

Then Alfred turned and walked away.

Nate could scarcely believe it. Alfred just turned and…walked away?

_I knew it…_ Nate bit down on his lower lip, guiltily, _Alfred hates me._

The disappointment must have been more than the old man could bear. Nate hated himself tremendously for it. He wanted to run after the old man and apologize but didn't know how. Maybe he hadn't noticed?

"Of course he noticed," Nate argued with himself. "Alfred's not dumb."

But what should he do now? Go inside and face the music? Or run away? What seemed like the better choice? Any moment, his mother or father would be shouting for him to come inside so that they could scold him for the bad habit that he had picked up. They would ground him and give him disgusted glares. Maybe they would revoke his music lessons. That idea made Nate very unhappy. He thoroughly enjoyed his violin and piano lessons.

But after ten minutes or so of pitiful silence, Nate realized that through his building up of horrible things that were going to happen to him, nothing had _yet_ happened to him. No one shouting for him, or coming outside to drag him by the ear.

Not…anything.

Scared even more now than ever, Nate quickly made his way in through the back door and brusquely walked into the dining room. Nancy and Maria, two of his mother's maids, were cleaning, but spared enough time to give Nate a smile.

This confused Nate.

He lingered in for a moment longer before making his way into the study where Hector and Robert were dusting and rearranging one of his father's bookshelves. They also gave him a smile and went back to their duties. Stunned that no one had mentioned anything to him, the heir decided to take a gamble and find his mother.

She was upstairs having her hair done by Anita, and chattering away about what had happened at her tea party earlier that day. Nate slowly walked in and his mother made eye contact with him, but did not interrupt her own story to greet her son.

_Strange as that is, that's actually a good sign._

Leaving the room, Nate wanted to take a bigger gamble and sought out his father. He went downstairs into his father's den, and opened the door uninvited. Nate's father was alone and working at his desk. He didn't even turn around when Nate made a grunt in order to announce his presence.

"Leave me, boy, I'm busy." And still quite irritated about the fight from earlier, it seemed.

But no talk of Nate's terrible deeds.

…Perhaps Alfred didn't tell anyone?

_How strange…_ Nate left the den and made his way out into the front room.

"Sir Nate!" came from the stairwell. It was Alfred.

The young man could feel goosebumps rise on his arms. "Y-Yes, Alfred?"

Alfred descended the stairs, three heavy books in his arms. "You left these in the conservatory, Sir Nate. I figured that you might need these for school."

Startled at hearing what he definitely didn't expect to hear, Nate gawked, held out his arms, and received the weight of the books. Alfred smiled at him and patted him on the back. "I know you didn't do all that well on your last exam, Sir Nate, but I'm confident that you'll do better next time."

He walked past Nate into the other room, and said nothing more.

The young heir stood there, back hunched over, weight of the books dragging him down, and his jaw dropped. Alfred…He _knew_ what Nate had done, and yet…Yet he said nothing. Perhaps he realized the young boy's guilt. Perhaps he wanted Nate to understand the mistake on his own. That was why the old butler didn't confess the young master's sin to his parents.

For that, Nate felt ashamed and yet grateful.

Nate swore an oath to himself on behalf of Alfred that he would never smoke again. And he kept very true to that oath…

…until Alfred died.

\/\/\/

Nate stood out on the veranda of his penthouse with a cigarette in hand, blowing a ring of smoke into the darkening sky. He looked up at the stars and sighed sadly. He had just recently stopped the crying, his heart unable to bleed anymore than it already had, and he gripped the Lucky Strike box in his hand. Closing his eyes he took in the air around him until he felt his right pant pocket vibrate and jingle. Switching the cancer stick to his left hand, he reached into his pocket with his now free hand and stared at the screen of the phone before him. He made a quick decision and flipped the cell phone lid open.

"Nanjo," came the less than pleasant greeting.

_"Hey bud. Was wondering if you'd mind if I came over for a little bit?"_

Brad Uesugi wasn't one to lean on anyone's shoulder, especially Nate's, given that the two never really liked each other all that much, but the despondence dripping from the star's voice wasn't about to make Nate protest.

Nate discreetly took another drag from the cigarette. "Yeah, sure, what's up?"

_"Just really down, ya know? I got Chris with me. He suggested that we crash at your place for a little bit."_

Even though Brad and Mark had had their sets of problems, they really were good friends. Nate knew that Brad was taking Mark's death pretty badly.

_"Besides," _Brad went on, _"I know Yuki was planning a sort of reunion for us. Guess we should be working on making something extra special in Mark's name."_

"Hey, don't push yourself into this just yet, Brad. You sound pretty bad. Wait…" It hit Nate. "You're drunk, aren't you?"

There was a chuckle on the other end. _"Almost, not quite. Chris is driving anyway, so I'm free to get as drunk as I want. We'll be there in about ten minutes."_

Without protest, the phone clicked, the line went dead, and Nate stared at the phone feeling his morale hit zero. He knew that before they showed up he'd have to change clothes and clean out the air.

…The only thing about _still_…almost six years later…keeping smoking a secret.

\/\/\/

She let the phone ring incessantly, probably, ten…maybe fifteen times since half an hour ago. Now it was Baofu's turn to know how it felt to be ignored. By then it had gotten dark.

By then, she had gotten home and packed everything that was worth a _damn_ to her.

Ulala Serizawa sat on the end of her bed, fumbling with the leather straps to her lone suitcase and stared at the dimly lit doorway that led to Maya's room. She kept her eyes focused there, a silent rage burning within her. She was tired of the lies, tired of the betrayals, and, most of all, tired of Baofu.

She had known Maya since their high school days and thought that she had had the woman all figured out. Ulala was sourly mistaken when she saw her 'best' friend in the back seat with the enemy. She supposed the reporter had been conspiring all along. Had been aware of the situation all along…

_She never even bothered to text me back._ The ends of Ulala's mouth turned downward and creased severely.

And after all she had found out, who _needed_ Baofu's help anymore? Not she. In fact, with what she knew she could take on the entirety of the IC case by herself.

…Well…without _Baofu, _that was.

She had intended on telling Maya everything about the IC case and maybe asking for her help with it. After all, Maya was a reporter and could probably get her hands on some juicy information about it.

Then she saw Maya with Baofu and Hero this afternoon.

Ulala knew that Hero was a Persona User and knew that Baofu had probably filled them in on the IC case. And as much as Ulala hated to admit it, she knew that Baofu had _always_ been nicer to Maya than to her.

Typical friend, huh?

And now she was debating.

Should she write a note to let Maya know that she was moving out? Or confront her face to face? Ulala was no coward, and wouldn't think twice about punching someone's lights out.

But this was _Maya._

"Hmph," her head dropped and she picked up the suitcase from the floor. Minako was on her way over and, although she didn't quite understand what the situation between Ulala and Maya was, had agreed to let Ulala move in with her for a while.

At least, until the redhead figured out what to do about the IC case and what would happen if she solved it. She didn't intend on telling anyone about her findings, and if she could crack the case by herself, she'd be rich! She leaned her head back and thought about what she would do with the money. Move to Spain, probably. She had always like the Spanish culture.

And then she imagined the looks on Maya and Baofu's face. Mostly Baofu's.

Maybe _then_ he'd give her the respect she _knew_ she deserved!

He'd beg her not to leave—not to move away! To come back and be his partner again. Hell, maybe he'd start treating her like his equal as opposed to his "secretary."

The smile didn't stay on her face for long as the painful realization hit her that it was _Baofu_ who was up for discussion at the moment. There weren't many things Baofu cared about. Her well-being was definitely one of them. But…well, he'd still be very upset if she solved the case before him, no doubt about that.

That thought continued to please her.

What to do about Maya, though? Tell her or walk out? Ulala still wasn't quite sure.

"She never bothered to text me back, or tell me that she was conspiring with Baofu." The redhead frowned. "I thought we were friends," she whispered.

That was the part that still hurt the most. They were _supposed_ to be friends. The ultimate betrayal didn't even come from Baofu, she found, as she was used to his horrible treatment toward her. But Maya. No…not Maya…

Ulala lingered at the front door, suitcase handle clutched tightly in her hand. To leave a note, or not leave a note? To confront Maya or not confront Maya?

As silly as it was, it was a tough choice.

She turned around to stare at Maya's now clean room, her heart sinking into her chest. Four months ago they were all a team, fighting the deadly Nyarlathotep.

…What happened to all of that?

Katsuya died, Hero came into the picture, and Baofu fired her.

Tears brimmed at Ulala's eyes.

"Forget them," she sniffled and turned back toward the door. "Forget all of them."

With her free hand she turned the doorknob and stepped out through the front door.

She'd show them.

\/\/\/

"Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?" Hero sang out as he stepped into the Hiiragi Psychotherapy Center. The place was closing, the lights were dimmed, and nobody seemed to be inside.

Something light dropped and little feet shuffled across the floor. A small figure looked down to the bottom floor and stayed at the top of the staircase for a moment longer. In the dim light, Hero could make out a thin woman with short brown hair. She was dressed in a uniform that he imagined would be for work.

He smiled.

"Who's there?" came the uncertain female voice from above.

"You never _did_ like that song," he laughed and stepped toward the stairs. "How have you been, Mary? You cut your hair, I see. It looks good on you."

Mary Sonomura stood breathless at the top, gripping the railing with one hand. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped. "H-Hero?"

He opened his arms and Mary quickly descended the stairs to meet him halfway. Her embrace came on so strongly that Hero had to grab the railing to prevent the both of them from taking a nasty tumble. His other arm encircled Mary and he could feel her arms wrap around him tightly.

"You jerk!" she exclaimed, though the intensity of it came out muffled from being absorbed into his shirt.

"I can see why you'd be very, very upset with me," he said, half jokingly. "But…Mary…" he released her and she looked up at him, confused. "As much as I want to reminisce on times long past, I'm here on a different accord."

Mary looked hurt, and that bothered Hero. He didn't want to come off as cold and aloof, but…

"I'm sorry about Mark," he whispered, all joking aside.

Mary appeared as though she wanted to cry, which he assumed she had been doing ever since the group found out. But she was trying to be strong, for both Hero and herself. Mary nodded, and took a step back. Air came back to Hero as the embrace ended.

"I still can't believe it happened," she admitted and gestured for him to follow her up the stairs. "Mark and I…"

"I know he meant a lot to you, Mary. And he meant a lot to all of us, too."

"And I lost another friend in the ruins, too," Mary went on. "It seems like the Lunarvale Ruins aren't to be trusted these days it seems. I've been thinking about going there myself to check them out."

"No, don't do that," Hero quickly said. "Mary, they're not safe."

Mary stood there with her arms hanging at her sides. "But…but Mark…and Katsuya…"

"I know that they meant a lot to you, Mary, but rushing into things will only get you killed as well. We need to have a plan first."

"Like what?" Mary snapped, her angry eyes rising to make contact with his. "Where have _you_ been all of these years? What gives you _any_ right to tell me what I should and shouldn't do? You don't know _me_ anymore. You don't know _any_ of us anymore."

Feeling the sting of Mary's words, Hero's mouth clamped shut and he lowered his eyes to the floor. Helpless to protest, silence enveloped the two of them for a while before he heard the girl whisper, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he replied.

"No. I need to say it. I'm taking my anger out on you and it's not fair. You're here now when we need you the most and that's all that matters. I'm sorry, Hero."

He shook his head. "I wish that that was all it took, Mary. I'm sorry, too." He looked up and saw her smiling sadly. He mirrored it. "I met your friend, Maya Amano."

"Oh," Mary's back straightened. "I didn't realize that you had become acquainted with her."

"Well, her and Tatsuya both, really."

"I see…" Mary moved to the back of the room and pulled a comfortable looking chair out for her to sit in. "Please have a seat." Hero moved forward to oblige her. "So what brings you to Sumaru, Hero? Tell me your story."

He chuckled. "Me? It started about four years ago when some weird guy in a mask came to us and said—"

Mary burst out laughing, and the both of them realized how much it hurt to laugh.

"You know very well what I mean," she scolded, but still continued to laugh.

Hero leaned back in his chair. "On vacation I guess is the best answer. I heard about the reunion if you really want to know, but I won't tell you how." There was a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "I met Ms. Amano through a series of events really, and that led me to meeting Tatsuya."

"So you weren't going to tell anyone you were here until the reunion then, huh?" Mary had pulled out a pen and was playing with the cap.

"Well…yes and no. I wanted it to be a surprise, but it's hard when people know people, right? I didn't know that Maya knew Nate and Ellen, as well as you and Yuki."

"Yeah, that happened through a long series of events, too. Want me to explain how it happened?"

"I'd love that, but maybe for another time, Mary. I don't want you to think me rude, but I _did_ come here for a specific reason."

Mary cocked an eyebrow and tilted her head. "Go on."

"When I said that I knew Tatsuya, I also know what happened to Katsuya, too."

Again, Mary's head drooped. "Katsuya was a great guy. He certainly loved his little brother. I can't imagine what Tatsuya is going through now."

"Well, for the most part, I've got that under control, but trying to keep both Maya and Tatsuya grounded has been wearing me down."

"So that's where you've been spending your days then?" Mary smiled. "You, too, are a great guy. Thank you for taking care of them. I've been meaning to call Tatsuya to see how he was doing, but what with…well…"

"No one is condemning you, Mary. Everyone is taking this really badly. And as soon as we get through this, we'll see just exactly what happened at the ruins. Something that even two Persona Users couldn't take on."

"You…knew that Katsuya was a Persona User?"

"Maya told me. Plus, I can feel Tatsuya's resonance, too."

Mary continued to fiddle with the pen cap. "You _do_ know not to ever make mention of that to Tatsuya, right?"

"Yeah, I got the rundown about all of that. Looks like I missed out on some action while I was MIA, huh?"

Though Mary was trying to make light of it, she shook her head and sighed instead. "You have no idea."

Hero leaned forward, more serious this time than before. "Mary…I need to ask you to do something very, very important for me."

His words took her by surprise. She stared at him, not quite sure how she should feel about such a request. The look in his eyes made her uncomfortable, but knew that Hero would never ask her for anything unless it was grave.

"What…what's up?"

"Earlier today I was helping Tatsuya box up Katsuya's belongings when I came across something peculiar." Hero paused in order to swallow and then said, "He was coming to see _you_ for counseling, Mary. I hate to ask you to break your doctor-patient confidentiality, but I need to know _why_ he was coming to see you. It might have some answers as to what exactly happened to him."

Mary was definitely uncomfortable now, and lowered her eyes to the table surface. "I guarantee you that it doesn't, Hero. There's really no reason for you to know what the reason was that he came here."

"And what about Tatsuya? You don't think that _he _deserves to know?"

"Playing guilt cards can't get me to break my contract, Hero." Mary's fingers clasped the pen even firmer. "I just can't tell you."

"Mary…Please. I need to know. Maya and Tatsuya need to know so that they can better cope with this. Please…"

Mary looked up, her face contorted, and Hero appeared desperate. She had never seen him look that way before. He was always so calm and collected. The calm and collected leader.

"This really means a lot to you, doesn't it?" She couldn't help but feel slightly jealous. Once upon a time, she had wanted to feel that important to him, too.

"More than you know. Please, Mary. The reason?"

She sighed and lowered her eyes back to the table.

"Ms. Amano…Katsuya…Tatsuya…Four months ago they saved Sumaru you know? A lot of things happened in that time. Things that Katsuya couldn't cope with."

"Like what?" Hero pressed. "I know from what Tatsuya said that Katsuya was a very overprotective brother, but meant well. Tatsuya and Katsuya were always on the opposite side of each other."

Mary dryly chuckled. "The Tatsuya of the 'Other Side' was very much a loner—just as the Tatsuya of 'This Side' is. You do know about the 'Other Side,' right?"

"I do."

"Good. Saves me some time explaining then. Katsuya blamed himself for a lot of the way his brother turned out. His father was put in prison for a crime he didn't commit, Katsuya's mother moved on, and, well…Tatsuya became resentful. It fell on Katsuya to try and pull the family through their dark times, but in the end, Katsuya hated his life, his family, and Tatsuya."

"Things are tough when an older sibling picks up the slack," Hero commiserated. "I can't say that I have any siblings of my own, so I wouldn't know what that was like."

Mary, now more engaged in the conversation, made eye contact with her old friend. "You know Katsuya never _really_ hated Tatsuya though. But he felt like he gave up so much in his life for the happiness of others and never got anything in return for it. A police officer…Katsuya told me he had always wanted to be a patissier instead."

Hero leaned back in his chair. "Poor guy."

"Katsuya had a drinking and smoking problem that he had been able to curb since before coming to see me. But…after the recent events…"

"He started back up again?" Mary nodded. "So he tried to get some therapy for what happened, huh? To make things better for his brother and for his family?"

"Yes."

The blue-haired youth blew air out from his lips and looked toward the ceiling. "Now…Now that I know…I can't even tell Tatsuya anything after all…"

"It would devastate him," Mary admitted. "And besides, he can't know of anything about the past. Do you see now why it didn't matter to know?"

"Actually…I feel like I understand things a little better now." Hero smiled sadly. "Thank you, Mary."

Mary, though didn't feel as though she had done a good thing, nodded. "You're welcome." Hero slid his chair back and stood up. Mary stared at him. "Leaving already?"

"Afraid so…But I'll be back, Mary. Just have some loose ends to tie up."

"Like what?"

"Well…" Hero shifted his weight to his right leg. "I should probably check up on Tatsuya…" His eyes widened. "Tatsuya…! Oh man…" Scrambling to dig his phone out of his pocket, Hero mumbled incoherent things to himself.

"What?" Alarmed, Mary stood up, "What's wrong?"

"After I realized that Katsuya had been coming to see you, I darted out of Tatsuya's apartment without telling him where I was going. Man…I think I left my phone on silent, too." On cue, as he flipped open the lid, Hero was greeted with twelve missed calls and eight new text messages…all from Tatsuya.

"He must be worried then," Mary chewed on her bottom lip. "For you to run out on him like that…"

"Yeah, I definitely gotta call him and give him the heads up…" Hero closed the lid to his phone, but continued to hold it in his hand. "I feel bad."

"He'll understand," Mary coaxed. "But you should definitely get back to him." She walked over to Hero and wrapped her arms around him. "I missed you."

Slightly startled by her actions, Hero involuntarily wrapped his arms around her as well.

"I missed you, too," he admitted. "It feels great to be able to see you again, Mary. You and everyone else. I promise in the next few days we'll all sit down and catch up."

The response wasn't exactly what she wanted, but she accepted it nevertheless. Hero pulled back after a moment and headed for the stairs. Mary stood there, something eating away at her, and as he began to descend the stairs, she blurted out, "There's one more thing you should know about Katsuya, Hero."

He looked back at her. "What's that?"

"Katsuya…He was in love with Ms. Amano."

Hero felt the breath leave his chest. He blinked several times and then turned completely around to give Mary his full attention. "…Come again?"

She nodded. "But Tatsuya of the 'Other Side' was in love with her, too. In the end…I think she chose him."

Hero used his fingers to demonstrate, "You mean…the Maya of the 'Other Side' chose Tatsuya, right?"

Mary shrugged. "She could've done it on 'This Side' as well. Either way, it crushed Katsuya. Not only had he lost Ms. Amano, but it was to his brother."

Hero clutched the railing and shook his head. "…I can't believe it. No wonder he was coming to see you…"

"He couldn't hate Tatsuya…but he couldn't let Ms. Amano go either. I…I didn't know what to do for him…And it was difficult because of the doctor-patient confidentiality. I couldn't talk to anyone about it, much less let anyone know that he had been coming to see me."

Hero ran a hand through his hair and sighed pitifully. "Damn it…" he mumbled, and he was never one to curse.

"I just…" Mary lowered her gaze. "I just thought you should know…But, please…don't tell either Maya or Tatsuya, Hero. Please…just don't."

\/\/\/

At first Maya felt horror, and then her entire being collapsed into sadness. She couldn't believe that Ulala was gone, and she hadn't a clue why.

Maya curled herself up into a ball on her bed, running all of the thoughts over in her mind. That text message…Ulala had seen Maya and Baofu in the same car. Was _that _the reason she had left? Or was it because of Hero?

When Maya had first walked in, she realized that Ulala's door had been left open, which was something the redhead _never_ did. Upon looking in on the room, Maya flipped on the light and realized that most everything was gone.

Her heart shattered.

She blew up Ulala's phone with calls and texts, but got no response from either method of trying. Finally, she gave up, sank into her bed, and cried. Ulala was her best friend, and now angry for something that she couldn't even comprehend. The reporter hoped that they could get past this, but Ulala had never just moved out of the apartment before. And they had never had an argument that they couldn't settle.

But since Baofu had come into the picture…

Wiping at her eyes, Maya sat up and looked out toward the lanai. She was deeply saddened to see that Ulala had even taken the plant that the two of them had had since the day they had moved in together.

"Ulala…" she whispered, but the tears flowed freely again. "I…"

Bursting out into tears again, Maya buried her head into her hands, sobbing uncontrollably at this point. She couldn't understand anything. First Katsuya, then Ulala…

"Mother Rhea, don't you cry…"

Startled to hear someone other than herself in the room, Maya pulled her hands away and turned her head to look behind her.

The pungent smell of iron hit her nose and her vision was blurred when she was suddenly doused in red liquid.

\/\/\/

This chapter was a little more sluggish than I was hoping for, but it'll pick up in the next chapter, I promise. :-) Hope it wasn't too bad and I'm thinking that I'll be able to write in some REAL action soon. And, again, I hope that the Nate scene didn't put people off too badly. :-P Please RnR, leave the flames to the trashcan bon fires, and I'll see you again next chapter.

ML


	9. Remembering What Should Be Forgotten

**Disclaimer: **Don't own CRAP. ::cries::

**A/N:** This chapter FINALLY delves into some action, story, and the introduction of some events of Innocent Sin (if you've played, you'll catch what I mean near the end of the chapter). I hope it's written all right, and I've been playing the patched version of IS, so hopefully that'll keep me entertained for a while :-D

Thank you for the reviews!

**\/\/\/**

**Dance to the Waltz**

**Chapter Nine**

**Remembering What Should Be Forgotten**

**\/\/\/**

After leaving Mary's work, Hero made a quick call to Tatsuya, who answered almost immediately. His tone held a mixture of relief and anger, and the blue-haired youth couldn't blame him. He told the teenager that he would head over to the Suou apartment, but Tatsuya rebutted that he was already on his way toward Maya's place.

"Why are you going there?" Hero asked, his phone on speakerphone.

"I just got some important news," Tatsuya's voice changed again—this time he appeared more excited. "I wanted to tell you first, but I couldn't get a hold of you. I figured you'd be with Maya, but since you're not, well, should I wait for you? I'm in front of the elevator right now."

Hero thought about it for a few seconds and then replied, "Nah, you go in without me. I'm still about three or so minutes off, but then I have to find a parking spot in Maya's crowded parking lot. I'll tell you, that place stays unsupervised most of the time. Since they make you pay to park at the Seaside Mall, I'll bet everyone parks at the Lunar Palace and walks over."

Tatsuya laughed at that. It was good to hear the boy laughing again. It had been a couple of days since he had heard the boy be anything other than melancholy, but it had been a long couple of days at that. Plus, with everything that Hero had just learned from Mary about the Suous and Maya, he wasn't too sure if he wanted the two to be alone for long.

_One never knows if Tatsuya's Persona is going to awaken again. I wish I had known about that predicament beforehand…_

"I'll tell you what the news is after you get here then. Man, it's amazing! I think we need drinks to celebrate!"

Hero chuckled. "I didn't think you were a drinker."

"I'm not, but drinking is supposed to be done in good times or celebrations. I think this could be considered a celebration."

"Well, before you and Maya decide to make plans, wait until I get there. I'd feel left out if I didn't get to partake on the decision-making."

"All right, Hero, I'll see you when you get here."

Hero pressed a button on his phone and placed it in between his legs while he continued to drive. He thought about how funny it was that Tatsuya seemed to be in such a good mood. He couldn't wait to hear what it was that the teen wanted to announce to everyone, considering his spirits just even a few hours ago. Whatever that had Tatsuya hyped up was apparently very, very good.

He flipped on his turn-signal, slowed down, and made a right into the Lunar Palace apartment complexes.

\/\/\/

"Hey, Maya…" the door to the older woman's apartment was left open, which triggered something in Tatsuya, but he tried to pay it little attention, as he figured that Maya had just carelessly left it open. Putting a hand on the knob, he slowly pushed it open as to not surprise her in case she was in the room.

Tatsuya looked into the room and chuckled. He had heard the rumors of Maya's room being a natural disaster—a tornado with lightning!—once upon a time from his brother, and Hero even confirmed it. But now the room was clean and spotless, just as he remember when he and Hero had come to visit a week and a half ago.

_Stonefield's influence is incredible. I can't believe that it's been over a week and she's __**still**__ managed to keep her room in tip-top shape. Well, we'll see how long it lasts for._

He continued into the room, still admiring how clean everything was, until he got a whiff of iron that nearly brought him to nausea.

_What the!?_

Instinctively bringing his hands up to cover his nose, Tatsuya made a face and stepped backwards. Something caught his attention from out of the corner of his eye and he realized that he had been standing in a big puddle of…

…Oh God, that was blood, wasn't it?

Tatsuya let out a shout and jumped backwards, his red footprints staining the tan, wooden floors.

"Maya!" he called out, immediately fearing the worst. "Maya!"

There were no sounds coming from within the apartment, and he at last garnered enough courage to move around the side of the bed where he saw the puddle to be at its largest amount. There, covered from head to toe in blood was a female figure, lying still. She was almost unrecognizable with the massive amounts of red that painted her body, but Tatsuya could see black hair coming through, and two hearts sewn onto the fabric of Maya's designer coat.

"Maya! Maya! Oh my God…"

"Leave the Mother Rhea…" came a second voice from within the room. Tatsuya spun around, noticed that the door that had led out into the hallway was now closed, and that there was a cloaked figure standing in the middle of the room. His maroon-colored garments draped to the floor, and even his sleeves seemed to lose all life as they hung from the figure's body. A matching colored mask covered his face, but Tatsuya noticed the black holes for eyes and the wicked smile that had been carved into the porcelain of the mask. Then, the figure cocked its head and a low chuckle emitted from him. "Well, well, if it isn't the Paradox Boy. Mother Rhea, the Paradox Boy…now where is the Crystal Survivor?"

Frightened, Tatsuya's heart began to race and his mind clamor. Maya was at his feet, unmoving and covered in blood—and here was _this_ guy…! How had he even gotten into the room without Tatsuya knowing?

"M-Mother Rhea?" Tatsuya's voice cracked. "Paradox Boy? Crystal Survivor? W-What…?"

The figured began to glide—glide!?—He wasn't even walking!—He was gliding over to Tatsuya, arm outstretched with long claws at the end. The teen jumped back until he collided with the sliding glass door and felt it reverberate behind him. Bouncing off of the glass, Tatsuya avoided the figure by ducking and quickly darted to the other side of the room. He knew he couldn't leave Maya, but how could he fend off this guy?

Spotting a broom in the corner of the room, he reached out to grab it. He silently wished that it was a katana instead. The figure lunged toward him again, and Tatsuya swung the broom at his head. With amazing reflexes, the broom was swatted away, and the teen moved back to strike again. He thanked the stars that Maya had cleaned her room for fear of tripping over anything while facing off against this monster.

Letting out a battle cry, Tatsuya swung the broom again. This time, the figure reached out and cut it into several pieces just with the claws on his hand. Left holding only the base of the broom now, Tatsuya watched as three pieces, including the bristles on the broom, fall to his feet, defeated. He backed himself into a corner quite literally, using the bookshelf and Maya's desk to keep him safe.

But instead of attacking again, the figure backed off, hands falling to his sides.

"I do not understand…_You_ are the Paradox Boy! Why do you cower so? Unleash your Persona! I wish for a brilliant fight!"

Tatsuya was quaking, but trying to keep a face of determination. Though it had been rendered useless, he kept a firm grip on the base of the broom, holding it out in front of him as though it was a lucky medallion that would keep him safe.

"What are you _talking_ about!? Persona? I have _no_ _clue_ as to what that is! Who are you and what did you do to Maya!? I swear if she's _dead—_"

"No clue you say?" The cloaked man appeared disappointed. "It cannot be…Possibly…You have lost your memory then? But…But if that is true…Then the 'Other Side' has already…" he trailed off, as though whatever it was that he had realized had to be kept to himself. "No matter then," he concluded. "I was wishing for a fight of the ages, but if you do not remember, it cannot be helped. All that it means is that our victory will come even more swiftly than anticipated. Now that we have found the both of you, there is nothing left standing in our way. The Crystal Survivor is nothing on his own."

Tatsuya had no time to make sense of his confusion as the room began to glow a beautiful opalescent blue. A gust of wind pushed him backwards and he conked his head on the wall behind him. If he hadn't already been back-to-back with a bookshelf, wall, and desk, he would've lost his balance undoubtedly. Attempting to shield himself from the light using one arm, Tatsuya stared in horror at the power that was accumulating above the cloaked man.

His voice appeared to echo in the small surroundings of the room, "I, Drayevarg, call upon the warrior of the night! Hear my demand, O Mother Rhea! An evil shadow lurks within the graveyard where our death is connected to her sin and we become their demon! We the Five Brass Petals! We the Five Brass Petals!"

The wind came stronger and fiercer, sucking Tatsuya into the whirlwind. Papers and loose objects swirled around the room, the bookshelf teetering and the blankets on the bed being pulled from underneath the mattress. From above the head of the masked man, a twisted shadow appeared, howling into the wind that had continued to draw everything around it in.

Tatsuya held onto the desk and screamed in terror, the last end of the broom that he had been holding flying into the swirling mass of objects, papers, and anything else that Maya had had in her room.

_That's it? I'm going to die?_ He struggled to keep a grip on the side of the desk, but the desk itself had begun to shift and Tatsuya lost part of his footing. _And Maya…Poor Maya! Just after I found out…Just after…No…It…It can't…_

_ Apollo…_

_ "Helion…You took your time getting here…"_

_ "Is it them, Apollo? Are they safe?"_

_ "Not for much longer. I'm trying to keep the boy alive, but he denies me. I can't get Artemis to respond."_

_ "Just a moment longer…"_

Tatsuya lost his footing, his head slamming into the desk. Feeling the world disappear around him, he gave into the force that sought him, and the voices that conversed with each other.

"Onesimus hears the bell and the one who chimes it!" The door swung open and a light that rivaled that of Drayevarg's swallowed the darkness in the room. "Gust!"

The pressure of the wind tackled Drayevarg and his Persona, ceasing the light in the room. Drayevarg staggered back, tripping over the bed. Unraveling himself, the cloaked figure spun around and hovered in mid-air above the newcomer.

Hero stood in the doorway, Persona awaiting its next command. He stared up at his adversary, who loomed over him, interest piqued.

"Onesimus? One who knows his name must be his apprentice. If that is so…"

"Shut up and fight already!"

The cloaked figure was rendered silent for the moment and then said, "Very well. Now that you all have revealed yourselves, there's no more reason to be here. I shall take my leave, Apprentice of Onesimus. When you see him next, tell him that Baucis is already dead."

"Wait!" Persona still active, Hero mentally commanded Helion to strike with Dead Whip. But in the moment of flash, the adversary was gone.

Standing alone in the messy room, Hero struggled to catch his breath, looking back to the unconscious Tatsuya, who lay crumpled underneath the desk, and at the pool of blood that peeked out from behind the bed. Swallowing his fear, Hero rounded the bed and felt chills roll up his spine when he caught the sight of a woman covered in blood.

"Maya…!" he breathed and quickly knelt down by her side. He grabbed her shoulders with both of his hands, not caring that the blood was staining him and his clothes. He lifted her up from the floor and shook her. "Maya!"

Hero caught the sound of a gurgle coming from the back of the woman's throat and he thanked the stars that Maya was alive after all.

_I don't see any real wounds on her from where this blood should be coming from. Looks like she was doused in it. It was probably that cloaked man who did it._

He frowned. He had to get Maya cleaned up and her clothes washed. He also needed to make sure that Tatsuya hadn't injured himself too badly with a concussion or anything. The youth cursed himself for not having been around earlier to help them. Leaning forward, Hero used all of his strength to lift the bloodied reporter into his arms and carry her into the bathroom.

\/\/\/

"So, did you know that _he_ was in town?" Mary put the glass of water to her lips and stared at the model, smiling.

Ellen stared at Mary, glass of wine in her hand, but was too frozen to move. She blinked a couple of times and then shook her head. Johnny Roger was pretty dead at this time of night, and so she had to refrain herself from causing a scene. It all made sense now about why Mary had wanted to meet up for an after work drink. She just hadn't realized that the reason would be so devastating as this.

The model turned her head to stare into her dark drink, despondently. "I thought he would've called me," she admitted. "So he's been here for a couple of weeks then, has he?"

"He didn't tell me," Mary set her glass down on the bar counter. She was a firm believer of not drinking and driving and since her car was parked out back and couldn't be left there all night, Mary had said she couldn't be drinking much. "But he knows about what happened to Mark and Katsuya."

"He knows Katsuya?"

"He apparently has been spending all of his time with Ms. Amano and Tatsuya."

That was like a stab in the chest.

Not only had Ellen not been the first to know about his arrival, Hero Stonefield had also found _other_ ways to occupy his time. It wasn't that Ellen didn't _like_ the reporter, Maya had a personality that everyone got along with. But Maya was so honest with herself and others that it sometimes made Ellen envious. All this time the model had been trying to become more honest through her work, doing it all for the man she really cared about, and it turned out that Hero found something else more interesting in the other woman.

"I…I didn't realize that they knew each other."

Mary chuckled. "He said that they met through a long string of events."

"I'm sure they did." Feeling courageous, Ellen downed her drink in one full gulp and called for another. The ever faithful bartender, who was currently cleaning out a glass with a rag, nodded.

Mary looked from her to the bartender and then back to her. "…You're not okay, are you?"

"You know," Ellen shook her head, not even looking at Mary by this point, and gave a dry laugh. "No, I'm really not."

"Is it about Hero?"

"He would make up about half of it."

"…Only half?"

Ellen's eyes darted sideways and somehow found the strength to face Mary. "Is there something wrong with that?"

Mary jerked backward, not quite expecting such a response. "N-Not really. It's just…"

"You, too, had feelings for him before, I believe. Did Mark _really_ erase all of that? What's the _real_ reason you wanted to tell me that Hero was here in Sumaru?"

Mary gawked for a moment, only noise and incomprehensible words coming through her mouth. Her eyes widened and then closed, "I…I…"

Another glass of wine was placed in front of Ellen, who snatched it up and began to nurse on it immediately. "You were hurt that he hadn't contacted you either. But then, _why_ did he come to see you if it wasn't to reminisce? Business?"

Now it was Mary's turn to feel uncomfortable. Her hands fidgeted in her lap and she looked down. "Well, yeah, it was some business about…about Tatsuya," came her half-constructed lie.

Ellen could see she was hiding something, but thought better to coax it out of her instead of calling her on it.

"Really? What about him? Tatsuya's not a patient of yours, is he?"

"No, but he wanted to know _why_ we don't talk about the 'Other Side' around him."

Ellen's interests were heightened for another reason, "Why would he want to know about the 'Other Side?' Is there something going on that we don't know about?"

Mary relaxed, "I don't know. He wouldn't tell me. Maybe you'd have better luck if you asked him?"

"I don't know about that," Ellen was back to sipping on her wine. "You still didn't answer my question. Why did you bring me down here?"

Mary sighed and slapped her thighs gently, "All right, I admit it. I was bummed that he hadn't told us he was in town—and another for only coming to see me for business reasons. I mean, no one's heard from him or seen him for four years now, and after the accident with Mark and Katsuya, I mean, can you understand _why_ I'd be upset? He just _now_ shows up expecting answers to irrelevant subjects."

Ellen shook her head.

"What?" Mary blinked. "What is it?"

"Katsuya was a great guy, wasn't he?" a smile crossed the model's lips. "Always doing what he thought was right. He had such a strong aura."

Mary decided not to remark on the fact that her friend had changed the subject. Maybe it was for the best anyway. Ellen could see the confusion in Mary's eyes, and she figured that it struck the therapist as odd that the subject would change to Katsuya.

_I'm sure as far as __**she's**__ concerned, I was out of his league anyway._

Ellen ignored the idea and went back to her wine.

"Something was going on between you two?" Mary leaned forward, curious.

The model shook her head, but appeared disappointed. "He, just as someone else we won't mention, was very dense in the romantic department. Something else was always on his mind."

"I didn't realize that you had feelings for him, Ellen."

The model seemed to have to force the devious smile and wink she offered to Mary and then accompanied it with a another drink from her glass, "A crush, if you will. Nothing serious."

"But you _wanted_ it to be serious?"

"We went out on a couple of dates, that's all. Well, maybe to _Katsuya,_ that was all. He probably didn't even regard them as dates."

Mary's lips pursed together. It was obvious she knew something more, but didn't want to reveal what she knew about the detective and his romantic priorities.

_It's the doctor-patient confidentiality code, I'm sure, _Ellen thought to herself. _She wouldn't be honoring anyone by gossiping, but I sure wish she'd tell me what she was hiding._

"Anyway," Ellen went on, "it seems like Ms. Amano is very lucky with the men. Not only did she have Katsuya, Tatsuya, but it seems like now she has Hero around her little finger too."

Mary jerked back, startled.

The model had to chuckle.

_She's giving me the 'is_ _Ellen drunk?' look. _

Not that the model could _blame _her for thinking so. She had already had two and a half glasses of wine—make that three, since she had just finished off the rest of the one in her hand. Ellen called for another and then one for Mary, telling her that it was only appropriate that they drink together.

_Maybe it's not like me to make jealous remarks, but I just can't help it right now._

Even when the two had been pining after Hero, both knew that although all was fair in love and war, they could still remain friends even after the best woman won.

Of course, _neither_ of them actually won Hero's heart, and Mary had found a spark of love in Mark after Hero moved away. The model wondered if one of them _had_ ended up with the blue-haired leader if it was true that they could remain friends. From all of the training in the psychiatric field that Mary had, Ellen was sure she would say it was doubtful. And sadly enough for Ellen, she'd have to say the same thing.

Love was a cruel, cruel thing.

Mary, for the most part, had moved on from the other boy, but reminiscent thoughts of "what could be" still haunted her, from what she had told the other woman. Ellen knew she spoke the truth, but the model didn't want to give up, even now.

Or maybe Mary was still grieving over Mark and turning toward an old love idea made her feel that much more comfortable. Either way, Ellen had never _had_ the luxury of having a boyfriend, always waiting for her true love to reemerge from the surface, but the look on the therapist's face now was laughable. Mary had never known that the girl had had feelings for the cop of Konan Police Department, too, but Ellen wasn't ashamed to admit it to anyone, even herself.

"You don't like Ms. Amano, I take it?" Mary finally ventured to ask. She was trying to bring the psychiatrist out in her to make things more business-like than personal. Ellen wondered if she thought that she was succeeding.

The model laughed, very loudly. Good thing there was no one else in the bar save the therapist and the bartender.

"I don't _hate_ Maya, Mary. I just don't like her sometimes. I mean…she's very outgoing and very charismatic. And she's _honest._ That's the worst of it. I know in the past that I've had problems being honest with myself. I mean, _sure,_ we _all_ have, and I've been trying to work on it. Being a model was my life's dream, but I knew that there was something wrong with me. I was scared of rejection and because of that rejection it showed through in the photos taken of me. I was a fake." Once Mary had made Ellen start, it was hard to make her stop, "You want to know something?" Ellen gave Mary her full attention, "Everything I did I did to earn our leader's affection. _Anything_ I could do to get it. Becoming a model and being honest with myself about it was the most important thing. That's why when Yuki planned this whole reunion I was thinking up every possible thing I would say to him when he walked in. _Every_ possible thing."

The model fell silent and raised her hand for another glass of wine. Mary flinched. Ellen was taking this harder than she had thought she would, apparently. Regret fluttered over the other woman's face, and Ellen recognized it immediately. And now, the model knew Mary was feeling guilty because she had caused problems for Hero and Maya, who had no idea how Ellen _really_ felt about them.

_I feel bad for her,_ the model watched as Mary finally substituted the water for the wine Ellen had bought for her. _It's very hypocritical. She's trained to uphold the doctor-patient relationship, yet she just gave Hero up about their talk from earlier. It's strange how human emotions work. It makes the world biased, no matter what one's field of work is._

Ellen was getting drunk and she knew it. Mary had never seen the other woman drunk before, as the model recalled. Maybe she didn't even know if Ellen knew _how_ to get drunk.

"So, yes, Mary, to answer your question, I _am_ envious of Ms. Amano." The drink was placed in front of the girl and Ellen clutched the circumference of the glass so tightly that her knuckles turned white. "And I'm jealous, too. She holds the heart of the man that I love. The man that I've been trying to get to notice me for a little over four years now. And she's able to make that happen in a matter of a couple of weeks."

Mary's guilt was becoming even more evident as she took comfort in the wine glass before her. Nevertheless, she still defended, "But Maya and Hero's relationship could be purely platonic, Ellen. Don't you think that you're jumping to conclusions?"

"Is that why you wanted to tell me everything? Because you're worried about a _platonic_ relationship? Admit that even _you're_ not sure."

"I…I haven't seen them together yet, Ellen. I can't draw that kind of conclusion."

"But it _has_ crossed your mind." Ellen downed the drink quickly. "Why _else_ would you bring me down here to discuss it?"

Mary sighed and leaned forward, looking quite disgusted. She finished her drink and sheepishly asked for another.

_We're not in high school anymore. We're supposed to be living a drama-free life the best that we can. I can tell what Mary's thinking. She's thinking about how she just really screwed that up and that if she was any kind of psychiatrist at all, she would've __**asked**__ Hero about it instead of going behind his back like this._

"So then," Ellen was using her index finger to circle the top of the empty glass. "Are we supposed to confront him about it?"

"And what will that achieve?" Mary was growing weary. She appeared anxious, probably wanting the conversation to be over so that she could go home and contemplate on what a horrible person she was.

_Maybe this side of her was what Mark saw too. That's why he wanted a change in their relationship so badly._

Ellen felt terrible about thinking about Mary in this way. Mary wasn't a horrible person. She just wanted what the model had wanted too. But what had been wrong with Mark?

Mark…

He really _was_ a great guy. He would've done anything Mary had asked of him. He even started to clean up his act and talk seriously about his future and career.

Mary admitted that she felt she had ruined that for him when she broke up with him.

"We won't know until we try," Ellen finally said. "We just won't know."

Mary sighed and continued to drink, even though she had said she wouldn't.

\/\/\/

"I...I had the weirdest dream!" Chunky was the center of attention for the first time, a circle of classmates watching him intently. "It was about a little girl that was crying for help! Maybe that dream was trying to tell me something...Maybe there's a girl out there that needs my help..." He was definitely trying to put on the dramatics. "How cool!"

"Aw, shut up, Chunky! The only saving anyone needs is _from_ you!" a brunette snickered.

"Yeah, like his lame attempts to get Alana go out with him…" came another voice.

"Shut up!" Chunky shouted, his rotund belly shaking with great vehemence as he lunged at his criticizing classmates. "Alana will have no choice but to massage my feet after I find out the meaning of this dream!"

More laughing. Hero and his companions continued down the hall toward the front of the school. He tightened his lips slightly. Chunky wasn't a bad kid, just a little misunderstood, and sometimes the blue-haired youth felt sorry for him and the way that everyone treated him.

Yuki tugged on his arm when he began to linger for too long.

A purple-haired girl was loitering at the bottom of the stairs. She turned and recognized the group. Her eyes became livelier, "Oh, um…Excuse me, Hero…?" he gave her his full attention with a "hmm?" from the back of his throat. T.J., one of Mary's best friends, passively made her way toward him, her hands clasped at her chest. "Are you going to the hospital?"

"We are," he answered. Yuki, Nate, and Mark stood behind him, watching the girl. "Why, what's up?"

"Could you please tell Mary that I'll bring her book back the next time I go to visit her?"

"Of course I can."

Relief crossed T.J.'s face, as though a burden had been lifted, although Hero wasn't sure why it was such a big deal.

"Thank you," she breathed. I hope I'm not bothering you or anything. That book was really good and I'd like to read it again."

"You're not bothering us," Hero's voice trailed as his eyes caught Mark, who stepped in front of the leader to engage in a conversation with the girl.

"What book did she let you borrow?"

"It's called 'Gate to Paradise.'"

Eyes bulging, Mark let out a loud laugh, "Man, that's deep! Mary reads books like that? Hot."

Hero sputtered and Yuki rolled her eyes disapprovingly.

Nate adjusted his glasses, "If you like it so much, why don't you just buy your own copy?"

Yuki's eyes sparked and she hatefully turned to the rich boy.

Sheepishly, T.J. looked away. "Um…It's actually a bit expensive…and I have to buy new clothes for my brother."

"Damn you, Nate!" Yuki backhanded the boy across the arm. He yelped and collapsed in agonizing pain. "How can you ask such a rude question!?"

T.J. blinked and Mark quickly put an arm around her while Yuki berated Nate and Hero pretended not to know the people hovering around him.

"Well, we're gonna go see Mary now, but don't you worry!" Mark flashed his pearly smile, "We'll give your message to her, okay?"

Involuntarily nodding, she replied, "Thanks, Mark."

A few minutes after that, the group exited the school, Nate still rubbing his arm. He shot daggers in Yuki's direction, said something foul, and Yuki turned on him again. Hero sighed with his balled hands on his hips and Mark's attention turned to the up and approaching black limousine.

"Either way!" Nate's eyes became narrow slits. "You all are a bunch of sloths! We're going to be late seeing Mary!"

"Man, wassup with Nate, anyway?" Mark caught the last half of what Nate had said and reacted to it. "Dude, you make everyone's lives horrible! I'll never like you!" he stuck his tongue out at the rich boy and Nate puffed himself up.

Yuki stepped into the middle, rolling up her sleeves. "Mark! Nate! Grow up already!"

No one had even noticed that the limousine had stopped at the school gates and someone was already walking toward them.

"Sir Nate!"

Nate's puffed form deflated. "Crap…" he muttered, and then followed it with a, "Uh…Alfred?"

The old man leaned forward and had to adjust the tiny spectacles upon his nose, as if what he was seeing was hard to believe. A smile cracked behind his long, white mustache. "What a _wonderful_ sight! Sir Nate is walking and talking with his friends…_together!_ I…I'm _so_ happy!"

Hero cocked his head. Was the old man…crying?

Mark was obviously fascinated with other things, "Sir…Sir Nate? Mfff…"

"A-Alfred!" the rich boy turned on the old man and thrust an intimidating finger in his direction. "I thought I told you to stop calling me that!"

"Sir Nate! Hahahahaha!" Mark fell to the ground dramatically and held his sides while rolling around, laughing.

It appeared as though Nate had to resist the urge to, literally, "kick him while he was down."

"Shut up, Mark! You uncultured hooligan!" When that didn't work, he wordlessly turned back to the happy butler, "Alfred, go home! I'm going somewhere with my friends today!"

"Oh! Shall I get the limousine ready for you and your friends then, Sir Nate?"

"That actually sounds pretty cool," Hero mumbled.

"Nonsense!" Nate sliced his hand through the air. "There will be no need for that! We're just going to the hospital!" Something else occurred to Nate, "…And stop calling me that!"

Horror overtook the old man's face and his laughter disappeared. "H-Hospital…?" he forced himself to say. "Are you injured, Sir Nate?"

At first, Nate was alarmed at scaring his old butler, whom Hero knew he loved dearly—even if he wouldn't admit it. It looked as though the rich boy was about to make a sympathetic remark until Yuki and Mark began to laugh simultaneously.

Nate's eyes darkened. "Damn it," he whispered. "No! Let's go, Hero! And don't follow us, Alfred!" He grabbed the leader's arm and stomped past his beloved butler, a hysterical Yuki and Mark behind them.

"Don't you think you were a little harsh on him?" Hero turned to look back at the saddened butler who had been left behind.

"Mind your own business," Nate spat back.

Hero sighed. Nate could be so stubborn, and his words could be very hurtful when he wanted them to be.

The group continued across town, Yuki and Mark having a conversation of their own about what had happened minutes ago. They began to laugh again, Nate yelled at them, but their laughing wouldn't subside. Angrily, the rich boy quickened his pace, arm gripping Hero's shoulder still.

_Probably doesn't want to feel alone while the others make fun of him,_ Hero blew air into his cheeks, making them puff out. _Whatever._

They ran into Mrs. Newrich at one of the crosswalks. She was walking home to her perfect mansion. Why she was walking instead of having one of her many chauffeurs drive her, Hero didn't know.

"What do _you_ want?" the woman snubbed as soon as the kids stopped short next to her. She was holding a rather large purse with, probably, something valuable in it. Mrs. Newrich was always like that—carrying around gaudy possessions and pretending to take them to art collectors and jewelry traders. It was amazing that she hadn't been robbed on the street corners yet. "You came to steal my valuable treasure, haven't you? Saw me standing here and—"

"It's _public_ property," Yuki's eyes narrowed. "We can cross at this crosswalk if we want to."

"Don't make me laugh," Nate pointed at the ugly purse in her arms. "Your 'treasures' are just junk to me. Antiques you say? They're all worthless compared to what _I_ own!"

"She probably stole everything she has anyway. That's what all of the rumors say," Yuki crossed her arms.

"She's as annoying as any old lady," Mark waved her off as the light changed and he began to cross the street.

"Hooligans!" Newrich called after their retreating forms. She waved a fist into the air. "Kids like you will never be able to appreciate the value of my treasures! Get out of here!"

Mark gave the old woman the 'no-no' finger and Yuki burst out laughing. Hero couldn't help but smile himself and then his eyes drifted off to the right where a large building oversaw the others. The Sun Mall wasn't a relatively new mall, but it had been severely remodeled a couple of years ago. He let out a small chuckle at some of the memories he had of the place.

There had been one time he and the others had visited Satomi Tadashi, Tad's father's store, looking for some aspirin for Alana, who was whining about a terrible headache she had. She was having a hard time trying to locate items in the store and was making Hero help her. Ellen had been there, too, but she was more preoccupied with the occult magazines in the corner of the store.

"Lalala…lalala dada di la da!" Hero and Alana did a double take at Nate, who was trying to hide his singing and dancing.

Hero was enjoying watching him and wished that his cell phone recorded video. He turned, however, and Alana was already on it. She held the phone up and tried her hardest not to let Nate hear her snickering. Hero squeezed his lips together as he watched Nate rock out to the pharmacy song.

"To recover hit points, use Medicine and Gem. When trouble arises and your friends are almost dying, rescue them with a Life Orb or Blood Orb. For petrification you can always use a Dis-Stone,' and for poison pains, Dis-Poison is the best," Nate continued to sing along with the song until Ellen rounded the corner.

"Hey guys, you should really check out this article about astrology. It's really—"

Her eyes turned toward Nate and only caught the last second of him dancing and singing before he spun around and saw the phone in Alana's hand that was aimed in his general direction.

"W-Wha…? Alana! Are you _recording_ me!? Give me that! Delete that video!"

He bolted after her and chased the criminal out of the store. Hero cracked up and Ellen stared after them.

"You kids go to St. Hermelin?" Hero and the occult fanatic turned to see an older, balding man with glasses. He was wearing a unique top that Hero recognized as a pharmacy shirt.

"Oh, you're Tad's father," the blue-haired youth observed. The pharmacist's eyes widened.

"You know him? He's _such_ a lazy bum! It's hard for me to believe that he's in love with this _really_ cute girl. I mean…_really_ cute." Once he started, he wouldn't stop, "I'd be so happy if she ended up marrying my son. He doesn't even like fencing all that much, but stays in the Fencing Club because of Tammy." He sighed, dreamily, "I wish I could quarrel with that cute girl, Tammy…"

The two students were already backing away when Ellen muttered, "Yeah, that's not creepy or anything."

"Let's catch up and see what's going on with Alana and Nate."

The two bolted out of there so quickly, Hero hadn't even remembered catching up with the arguing duo. Nate was demanding that Alana delete the video.

He was pretty sure she still had it, too.

Coming back to reality, he watched them pass by the mall, people bustling in and out of the sliding doors.

He smiled. He loved Lunarvale.

\/\/\/

"How's she doing?" Hero called out, worriedly, from the door frame leading into the bathroom. His arms were crossed and clutching his sides tightly.

Baofu leaned over the unconscious Maya Amano, coat and gloves removed. He even had his hair pulled back into a ponytail. He gently poured another bucket of lukewarm water over her, washing the rest of the blood out of her hair.

"Well, she's alive," Baofu chewed on his lip, wishing he had a cigarette. "And the blood's not hers, but it's definitely human blood." Shaking his head, the wiretapper swished around her waterlogged clothes, but they were still stained with blood. "What the hell happened anyway?"

"I told you already," Hero shakily took a step into the bathroom. "One of those cloaked men we saw in the basement of the school showed up. He was fighting against Tatsuya."

The hairs on Baofu's neck stood up. "Yeah, that bothers me…"

Hero looked out of the bathroom and around the corner. Then he came back into the bathroom and said in a more hushed tone, "My Persona made resonance with his. When I picked him up and put him on Maya's bed a little while ago, I heard him mutter 'Apollo…Apollo…'"

The older man paused, and then exhaled loudly, "Dammit…"

Hero closed the door so that it was slightly ajar, "I know. If he remembers…"

"We have to make sure that that doesn't happen." Baofu went back to pouring water over Maya's head, going slowly enough so that he didn't drown her. "A lot of bad things will happen if he remembers."

"I know that." Hero found the courage to come in and sat down on the toilet, lid down. He watched Baofu's repetitive actions, and then stared at Maya. "I can't believe I wasn't here for her when that happened."

"At least she's alive."

"But she might _not_ have been. And then Tatsuya…I should've told him to wait for me to show up."

"Yeah, and by then, Amano _might _have died. At least the kid was there to distract the cloaked clown."

"And at what cost? Tatsuya remembering his past self? Putting the two of them in danger so that that guy knows where to find them?"

"You can't keep beating yourself up over this. You did what you could." Baofu leaned back, arm getting sore. "That's the best I'm gonna be able to do. We're gonna have to dry her off and do something about these clothes. Where's Serizawa? She should be here to do this. Stupid girl…probably off getting drunk."

"You know," Hero stood up and looked down at the wiretapper, "I was thinking the same thing, so I went to her room to make sure that she hadn't gotten caught in the fight and…well…"

"What?"

"It's a pretty empty room. My guess is that she moved out while Maya was gone."

"What?" Baofu jumped out, ignored drying his hands, and raced out of the room toward Ulala's room. "That Serizawa…she didn't…"

But when he threw the door open and reached to flip the light switch on, something inside of his stomach sank. Indeed, save the dresser and bed, just about everything was gone and removed. She probably was going to come back for the furniture, but it definitely showed evidence that Ulala Serizawa had moved out of the apartment.

"I don't believe this," he mumbled, looking around the room. "And at a time like this!"

He heard some noise coming from the bathroom and subconsciously realized that Hero was taking Maya out of the tub. Baofu slowly stepped into the room, observing it more closely. He was half expecting a note or something like that explaining why she'd do something like this.

_Yeah, we didn't need her help or anything. And then she broke into my place to steal information. Typical crazy woman._

He sighed and kicked her bed. She could cause a ton of problems when she wanted to. And only Ulala could make that happen. If there were such an award for it, she'd get it, hands down.

Baofu wondered how she would feel if she had known that she left her best friend to nearly become the next victim of the IC Case. Tatsuya too. That would've been two more murders in the additional eighty-eight. He still hadn't been able to get the information on the latest victim, but now that the cult was beginning to show themselves, he doubted that he needed the information anymore.

"Baofu," Hero called from the other room.

"Coming," turning and violently slamming his hand against the light switch to turn the light off, Baofu trudged down the hall, "What a stupid woman." He entered the main room, which was, of course, Maya's room, and saw the raven-haired woman in a pink bathrobe. She was still unconscious of course, but was lying next to Tatsuya, whom Hero was hovering over. "You changed her clothes? Lecher."

"I didn't peek," the younger boy called defensively over his shoulder. Looking back at the two unmoving figures, he sighed. "What a mess."

Baofu took to sitting in Maya's computer desk chair. He swept a couple of papers away from the seat and turned the chair so that it was facing the front of the room. "You're telling me. I thought you were helping Maya become a tidier person. This looks like it's always been."

Hero chuckled, feeling relieved that Baofu had broken the tension, no matter how serious the situation was becoming.

"I was," he said, "but it appears she's had some rude house guests."

Baofu reached into his pocket for his pack of cigarettes. He accompanied it with a lighter. "Man, one of these sounds so good right now."

"Really? You're going to smoke in Maya's apartment?" the younger boy lifted an eyebrow. "I wouldn't let her catch you. After all, I'm pretty sure she's had a very bad day."

With that, the wiretapper sported a frown, and the cigarette he had managed to pull from the pack wilted between his fingers. The lighter that was in his other hand fell to the ground and bounced with a loud, plastic _click!_

"Damn you, Stonefield," the older man snorted and bent down from his position on the chair to pick up the fallen lighter. "Ruin my only happiness..."

Hero couldn't help but burst out laughing and then jerked a thumb to the lanai behind him, "Smoke out there. I'll walk out with you."

Baofu appeared shocked, "You smoke?"

"No, but there's some things we need to discuss," Hero pointed at Tatsuya, whom he was afraid could be listening in, "in private, that is."

The light bulb clicked in Baofu's face, and he nodded with an, "Ahhhh." Standing up, resulting in the chair squeaking as the weight on the cushion was released, Baofu made for the sliding door, the other man behind him.

He unlocked it, stepped through, and waited for Hero to close it behind him before working to light the cigarette that he had been denied for almost two hours. He gazed out to the illuminated city. It was so bright at night that the stars couldn't be seen. It bothered him sometimes. On occasion, even Baofu wanted to stare at the stars and think.

"So," Baofu, successfully taking a long awaited drag from his cigarette, broke the ice, "what's _really_ going on, Stonefield? You told me before that you're on the IC Case because you have a hunch that it may have started in Lunarvale. But not even a day goes by and one of the cloaked bastards from earlier tries to kill Amano. Tatsuya just _happens_ to show up with you in suit. Quite a coincidence there, eh?"

"You think I'm somehow _connected_ with what happened to Maya?" Hero didn't wait for Baofu to respond before he said, "Tatsuya called me and said he had some news he wanted to tell Maya and me. I was in this ward visiting a friend, and I told him I'd stop by."

"Which friend?" Baofu interrupted.

Rolling his eyes at the other man's nosiness, Hero replied, "Mary Sonomura. I guess you'd might know her since she knows Katsuya and Maya."

The name rang a bell and Baofu nodded, "Go on. What news did Tatsuya want to tell you?"

"We never got that far, only that it warranted a celebration of sorts. The kid was happy—_much_ happier than he's been the last couple of days. So it was important that I got over here. By the time I got over here, though, Tatsuya and Maya were already down, and that cloaked figure was in the middle of the room. I fought him off with my Persona, but he didn't stick around. To be honest, I have no idea what he wanted or if he got it."

The two were silent for a long time, just staring out at the city lights, listening to the cars go by down below. Baofu imbibed everything he heard and then dissected the situation piece by piece.

"This is all connected somehow," he took another long drag from his cigarette. "Suou's death, the rituals, the eighty-eight murders, Mother Rhea, and them wanting Amano."

"Do you think Tatsuya has a part to play as well?"

"Of course," Baofu chuckled. "He's the damn Paradox Boy. If he remembers what happened on the 'Other Side,' we're all going straight to hell in a hand basket, no questions asked."

Hero sighed and looked down at the potted plant before him. He told Baofu he had given Maya that potted plant shortly after meeting her as a housewarming present and then he laughed.

"It was the first time I saw her apartment _clean,_ which was why I called it a 'housewarming present.'"

Baofu shook his head, but chuckled anyway.

Hero shuffled one foot in front of him, and put his hands in his pockets. "I hope Maya will be all right," his tone became more somber. A breeze hit them both from the front. It was starting to get cold.

"This is getting dangerous," Baofu changed the subject. "Serizawa doesn't know the _half_ of the information she's got in her hands. Looks like she's turned her back on Maya for some stupid reason." Dryly laughing, he added, "That's why I said that we have to keep this to ourselves. No outsiders, no one else, just us."

"Is _that_ even safe?"

"You said earlier that you lost one of your own friends in that same cave-in that Suou got caught up in, right? You want that to happen to another friend? Nanjo? Kirishima? Even Mary?" He cleared his throat and turned to put his back against the railing. "No one, Hero. No one."

The younger man sighed in defeat, knowing that it was the truth. Baofu watched him for a moment. He could tell that Hero still didn't know how to take his friend's death. The wiretapper knew that Nanjo was another one of his best friends. If _he _died...Well...And Maya and Tatsuya...It didn't take rocket science to see that they were two people Hero had come to care for greatly.

"So now what?" the former Lunarvale student blew air through his lips. "We gotta keep Maya and Tatsuya safe no matter the cost. What's next?"

"Well," taking a final drag from his cigarette, Baofu stooped over to burn it out on the patio surface, "it's obviously not safe here. And having Amano and the kid together makes it easy as pie to get what they want. We're gonna have to separate them for a while." The wiretapper thought to himself for a moment before looking back through the glass at the two unconscious forms on Maya's bed, "I'll take little Suou back to my place. You take Amano back to your millionaire's mansion in the sky. Sound good?"

"Maya?" Hero blinked. "Come to live with me for a while?"

"Well, she sure as hell wouldn't like living in my dump. Besides, I think she's still sore about me and Serizawa. No doubt she blames me for that crazy bitch moving out on her in the first place. You take Amano." Baofu clicked open the slider and pulled it back.

Stepping through, he walked over to Tatsuya, arranged him gently without yanking him around, and pulled him onto his back in a piggy-back position.

"Get the door for me," Baofu commanded. "Make sure to turn off all of the lights in Amano's place and lock the door. And, above all else..." the older man shifted his weight to adjust to the teenager's, "...call me if anything else happens. We're playing high stakes now."

\/\/\/

"Is he going to be okay?" Nate gazed over the back of the couch, feeling ill indeed.

Brad had passed out several hours earlier, the rum bottle still sideways on the floor from where he had dropped it. His hand hung over the side of the couch, fingers outstretched and slightly curled from when he had held it before falling asleep.

"He should be," Chris was in the chair across from the couch, his legs crossed. "He really needed that. Sorry it had to be at your place, though."

It still didn't console Nate. He hated to have to be responsible for these kinds of things. He didn't like drinking, and he didn't like drunks.

_Hence why Baofu and I always clashed._

"At least he's still breathing..." the rich boy mumbled. He didn't know _what_ he would do if he had a case of alcohol poisoning on his hands.

The actor's face was bright red and puffy, but that was only from the one side Nate could see. Brad's body was tangled and twisted, his shoulders turned one way while his face was buried in between cushions. His hand was outstretched while the other remained invisible, and one leg was sprawled out on the back of the couch while his hip was twisted and curled underneath his body. Low noises were emitted from the back of his throat, but, other than that, he was still.

"So, what do we do now?" Chris asked, which was very unusual. He normally had the answers, not the questions.

"I..." the other boy shrugged. "I really have no idea."

Maybe they both knew that there were no good ideas because Chris didn't have anything else to say and Nate couldn't think of anything _to_ say.

"Do we go to Lunarvale?" the half-brother of Guido Kandori asked, although it appeared to take quite a bit of effort. As far as Nate knew, none of them had gone back home in years.

"To the ruins, you mean?" Nate walked around the side of the couch, but his eyes still caught Brad's form once more before finally settling down in the chair next to Chris. "You want to find out what happened to Mark, don't you?"

"And that officer, too. Ellen and Mary seemed to take his death pretty hard the other day."

"Katsuya..." the name slipped through the rich boy's lips softly. He had forgotten about him. "Yes. Perhaps we _should_ go to Lunarvale. Should we rally our old gang together? This could be a very dangerous task."

"No more dangerous than staying here and never really finding out what happened to our friends." Leaning back in the chair, Chris added, "They never found their bodies, Nate. Personally, that bothers me. I mean, what the hell is lurking there that could kill two Persona Users?"

Nate looked up at his ceiling and shook his head. Only he and his friends knew what was inside those ruins. But that was then.

What was in there now?

_Hero's in town. He knows Mark's dead. We should contact him._

"All right," the rich boy agreed. "Let's call everyone up and discuss a visit to Lunarvale."

"Now we're talking," immediately, Chris whipped his cell phone out and began smashing numbers into his phone.

"W-Wait," Nate leaned forward, checking the grandfather clock on his wall. "Chris, it's almost three in the morning. Everyone will be aslee—"

"This is important," the other man interrupted and held the phone up to his ear. "I'll call them one by one, startin' with Yuki."

\/\/\/

_ "Fujii...Where is Fujii!? Why didn't you stop him!?"_

_ "Would you have been able to?"_

_ "I'm...I'm sorry..."_

_ "Y...You look so...terrified...It takes away from your beauty...you know...?"_

_ "F-Fujii...?"_

_ "I...just slipped up a bit...But...I got the battle captured...perfectly...on camera..."_

_ "Why...Why did this...have to happen...?"_

_ "...Yuk...ki...Capture...the...stars..."_

_ I can't stop crying...I have nothing else to live for...My mentor...the man I fell in love with..._

_ "I can't go on! I don't want to fight!"_

Yuki Mayuzumi woke at her desk in a broken sweat, the sound of her cell phone bouncing along the wooden surface next to her. She felt her heart beating wildly, and beads of something cold trailed down her face.

"Oh God..." she exhaled, grabbing the phone and glancing down at the caller ID.

It was Chris.

What was he doing calling at this time of night?

But by the time she had hit the 'talk' button, the call had ended. Yuki bit down on her bottom lip.

_Whatever. I'll call him tomorrow._

She wasn't too disappointed that he had called though. The dream she had been having was still swimming through her mind. All she had remembered was being with a group of people she had deemed her friends and they were...what were they doing again?

"Nazis..." she breathed, her eyes focusing on a picture she had taken during a trip to Italy. It was tacked to her wall to remind her that she had to make plans to go there again. Maybe take Fujii with her.

Fujii...

"We were at Caracol...fighting Nazis..." It sounded so strange to be thinking of that. "And Fujii...He was taking pictures and..."

He got shot, right? Yeah, she was _sure_ of it. He had died.

He was leaning against a tree, and all at once she had been by his side, his head in her lap.

Dropping her face into her hands, she felt the weight of the dream crash down upon her.

Where had _that_ come from? Fujii...dead?

She couldn't imagine Fujii dead. How horrible!

But that dream...it felt so...so _real..._

"It feels like a memory more than a dream," she whispered into her hands, feeling the heat from her breath coat them. "But how can that be? Fujii is alive and well. I'll be seeing him tomorrow at work. Sure, my friends and I are Persona Users, but it didn't _feel_ like the old gang I was with. It felt like I was with other people..."

_I gotta forget about this. It was just a dream._

_ Just a...dream..._

\/\/\/

After a long while, Ellen and Mary staggered out of the bar, holding onto each other for supportive walking. The model was chatting about something, but Mary was very concentrated on getting home since there was no way she was driving after all.

_Hope they don't tow my car..._

Should they take the bus? Take a cab? Walk?

_Oh I feel sick..._

The drunken therapist did the best she could to distract herself to keep from thinking about vomiting. She listened to Ellen's breathing, realizing they both were in an undesirable state.

_I should've restrained myself from drinking so much. At this rate, I don't know how we're going to find the bus stop._

It was somewhere in between midnight and dawn, and that wasn't saying much. Mary's world was spinning, it was dark, and she was staggering. She bit her lip.

_Great. This makes us great rape bait..._

Ellen wasn't saying anything, and Mary wished that she would. But, then again, she didn't know _what_ she wanted the model to say, and _she _didn't want to be the one to tell Ellen that she had no idea how to get to the bus station. Thoughts of where her phone could be circled over and over in her mind. Mary didn't want to go searching even if she _did_ know.

And she hadn't wanted to admit anything to her friend _or_ herself, but a set of footsteps were getting closer, and any company out at this time of night frightened Mary.

_I think we're both too drunk to use our Personas. That would be a disaster._

So then what? The footsteps were getting closer and closer. Someone was walking toward them, and their pace had accelerated. Mary clung to Ellen's arm tighter, mouth gaping. She tried to think of other possibilities, but she was finding it too hard to think at that moment. The psychiatrist just hoped that it wasn't a bad luck of the draw with her and the model.

"Mary? And...Ellen? Ha, I didn't expect to see you two out here at three in the morning."

"...What?" the two stopped, Mary nearly rolling her ankle and tripping ungracefully. She recognized the voice, but couldn't quite place it in the dark without a face.

"Who's there?" Ellen questioned, and Mary was amazed that she still held such elegance in her tone. It was almost as though she wasn't intoxicated at all.

"It's Ulala," the other laughed. "God, are you two drunk? I can smell it from over here." Closing the distance between them, the redhead stepped in until she stood face to face with Mary, her face suddenly garnering more distinctive features.

"Mildly inebriated, I'd say," Ellen corrected, but her tone still seemed off. She wasn't quite the lovable and giggly occultist that the others knew. "Ms. Serizawa...it's been a while."

"_'Ulala,'_ I've already told you that, Ellen. No need for formalities." But the older woman's face was all smiles, and her eyes twinkled against the streetlamp above them. "What are you two doing out here? Just leaving the bar? Johnny Roger isn't exactly the most top-class of places for two lovely ladies like yourselves."

"You seem very happy this evening, Ulala," Mary cut in, but was surprised that she was still sober enough to retain any sense of the situation. "What's going on?"

"I was going to ask you two the same thing," the therapist caught sight of something long and flat in the redhead's hands. "You tell me what you're up to and I'll tell you my story."

"Hmm..." Ellen's lips curled into a smile. "You seem rather excited, Ms. Serizawa. Why don't you tell us your side first? Now you have me curious..."

"All right," Ulala quickly agreed. Whatever she had to tell was eating away at her, and Mary could sense that. Apparently, Ellen could, too. "So, for the past four months Baofu and I have been working together as mansearchers. Then, something crawls in his pants and he fires me. I couldn't understand why, but, after some good ol' Detective Ulala investigating, I came across _this._"

The long and flat thing that Mary had been eying in Ulala's hands was brought before the girls, and a big, pearly smile that almost glowed in the dark cracked at the older woman's face.

"What's that?" Ellen slowly pointed, her eyes somewhat droopy. Mary realized that the model was starting to drift in and out of consciousness. The alcohol was taking effect.

Ulala didn't seem to realize it, however, and hastily answered, "This, girls, is the documentation to the IC Case, compliments of Mr. Kaoru Saga." Extremely pleased with herself, she added, "Apparently, this is what has been driving Baofu up a wall and explains why he's fired me."

There was a long pause, and Mary found that the delayed reaction time in digesting what the redhead had said was becoming evident.

To mask it, the therapist quickly asked, "How does that show why he fired you?"

Cheeks puffing out, Ulala replied, "Because he believes I'm a weak girl who can't fight _despite_ the fact that I helped save the world, in _case_ anyone's forgotten."

_No, Ulala..._ Mary's pounding headache was beginning to exacerbate. _No one's forgotten..._

"And what's even worse," the boxer turned her head to the side and blew air through her lips, "he's got Ma-ya in on it too."

"Is that _so?_" Ellen's attention piqued, and Mary felt her pull away to stand straighter.

"Yeah..." the older woman's voice dropped to a whisper, as though what she was saying was very painful. "I thought that we were friends, but here she is going behind my back _knowing_ the situation between me and Bao..."

_Bao?_ Mary's brows furrowed together. _Is she in love with Baofu?_

"And then she's got herself a boyfriend," Ulala sniffled. "She's been spending all her time with him. He's a younger guy, and...I mean Hero's nice and all, but he's gotten her to be more tidier, she's not late for work anymore, he's helping her with her reports and...For God's sake, she told me he's even given her driving pointers and she's _let _him! I mean, if that were me, we'd be taking separate cars forever..."

Again, the delayed reaction time set in. But once it registered in Mary's mind...

"_Hero?_" the therapist blinked. "Hero _Stonefield?_"

Mary felt Ellen stumble backwards into her. Apparently, the model had come to the same conclusion and _didn't_ like it.

"Yeah," Ulala gave them both a look that expressed her confusion. "Blue hair and an earring...You know this kid?"

"Y-Yes..." Ellen's eyes closed. "We went to Lunarvale together. So, Mary, you were telling the truth...But...I guess they're together after all..."

"Oh!" the folder in Ulala's hands dropped and her fingers went to her mouth in a panic. "Oh, Ellen! You told us back in the Sumaru TV Studio that time... He's the one...?"

"Ha, ha," the model used a wobbly hand to push back a strand of hair from her face. She missed it entirely the first time and didn't do much better the second time. "Don't worry about it. I knew he was never interested in me to begin with...It's just nice to know that Maya hasn't lost her touch with the men."

"Ellen..." Mary scolded, but her voice only came out in a whisper. "You know Ms. Amano..."

"So what's your plan with that IC Case, Ms. Serizawa?" Ellen interrupted. "It sounds like Maya and Baofu are on it together, and if Maya and Hero are involved with each other, no doubt they're on the case together, too. He _is_ a Persona user after all..."

Those words clicked in Ulala's head and she merely nodded. "These murders have been going on for a long time. I've been checking out one of the crime scenes—behind the factory next to the police department—for some clues. I figure if I can get a one-up on this case and solve it before those three, I'll prove that I'm not this weak woman they're all taking me for."

There was another long pause, but not out of delayed reaction time. This was a genuine pause, and Mary _knew_ what Ellen was contemplating.

_She's going to take Ulala up on helping with this case to spite Hero and Maya. I know it..._

"Need some help?" Ellen confirmed the therapist's thoughts. "I'm sure you know what's happened to Katsuya, but another one of our friends, Mary's old flame here, died in the ruins too."

"Ellen! How could you say—!" but Mary was interrupted by a touch of the model's hand to her shoulder.

"Well?" Ellen's eyes were glossy and unfocused, the alcohol clouding her thoughts, but her dialect was sophisticated, enunciated, and held great bitterness.

"I...I don't want to hurt Ma-ya," Ulala put forth, sensing tension. "But my pride is on the line here. She took sides with someone she shouldn't have and she needs to realize that."

"That's very sweet, Ms. Serizawa," Mary told her, but she was still disappointed in her friend for blurting out something as personal as her relationship with Mark.

_But...__**Should**__ I join up with Ellen and Ulala on this one? Against Hero? I wish I knew more before making a decision like this..._

"I...I could use help," the boxer finally admitted.

"Partners then," Ellen smiled. "But we're very drunk, Ms. Serizawa. Could we perhaps get a ride back with you and discuss this back at your place?"

"I suppose that would be all right."

"Wait," Mary looked between the two. "But don't you live with Ms. Amano? Wouldn't it be very tacky on our parts to discuss our plots against her when we're right in the next room?"

"Oh..." Ulala's eyes lowered as a flash of pain crossed her face. "I forgot to mention. I...I moved out earlier today. I'm staying with a friend at the moment."

"Moved out...?" the therapist held her breath.

_This situation is getting out of control and I've only just started hearing about it six hours ago._

"Yeah..." Ulala shook her head. "Look, I'll explain it all along the way. I'll take you back to Minako's place."

Ellen was all too accepting, but Mary had a bad feeling about this.

\/\/\/

The soap opera drama begins! Next chapter, Tatsuya announces his AMAZING NEWS! And ya. It's pretty freaking amazing :-D Please review me kindly; flames will be used as bon-fires while we all sing Kumbaya.

ML


	10. A Little Good News

**Disclaimer:** Afuera

**A/N: **More afeura.

Thank you to my readers and reviewers! Milia, I'm glad to hear you say that. I was a little worried about portraying Ellen/Eriko in that way for fear that my trying to make her more human would backfire. I'm glad that you didn't think so :-D Skye, this is the chapter you will find out what Tatsuya's been wanting to share.

I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! (SPOILER) and (SPOILER) will be back next chapter. :-D

**\/\/\/**

**Dance to the Waltz**

**Chapter Ten**

**A Little Good News**

**\/\/\/**

Her body was trembling. She was sweating and out of breath. It was difficult to clutch those two tiny pink guns in each of her hands.

Was it over?

Her friends were still beside her: Lisa in an offensive stance, Eikichi with his guitar gun, Jun armed with roses, and Tatsuya before her, protectively, with his blade.

But _he_ remained standing.

Nyarlathotep.

He cruelly assumed the form of Jun's father and laughed at their attempt to slaughter. Philemon stood next to him, eyes unreadable just as they always were.

"Were your emotions swayed when he acted as each of your fathers?" Philemon, the butterfly man, eyed Jun in particular. "He is the Crawling Chaos—Nyarlathotep! You must all understand what it was I was trying to tell you earlier."

"And say what?" Nyarlathotep chuckled. "You've seen it too, haven't you? These just might _be_ the results we were anticipating after all this time."

Lisa looked back and forth between her adversary and the one she had placed her trust in all this time. "What are you talking about? Philemon, what is he saying?"

No one expected the response to come as nonchalantly as it had come.

Philemon offered the shadow of a smile and explained.

"We are the origins of human souls. We are the personification of the Collective Unconscious—one unified existence. Since the beginning we have observed the affairs of mankind. I guide those who possess strong souls—souls worthy of this power. On the other hand, the Crawling Chaos drags the weak-willed souls into hell." Maya felt something sickly enter her body. When she looked at the others, she could tell that they were experiencing the same thing. Still, the butterfly man continued, "The events that have transpired and have enveloped you only happened because we were watching you. We wanted to find out if the human soul—the magnet of contradictions—can transcend into a perfect existence. All this time we have been watching you, and I have seen through your actions that you have displayed this potential. It's rather wonderful, actually. You see, if more people who carry your kind of potential are born, then humanity will one day discover their purpose and live a perfect existence."

A surge of hatred, betrayal, and disbelief fed through Maya like poison. All of this..._None_ of this was supposed to happen.

"All of this..." it came out as a whisper at first, but it wasn't long before Maya found her voice. "Everything was set up by you two!?"

"Don't deprive me of my glory," Nyarlathotep swept a hand through his locks. "I believe you would be more accurate by just saying 'you,'" he pointed to himself. "For while Philemon is confined to merely watch, I am different."

Different?

Different _how?_

Maya couldn't take it in right away. None of them could.

There was a set of footsteps from behind them and Maya turned her head. Someone was looming over her shoulder.

Spinning on one heel, the raven-haired woman recognized the former Seven Sisters High School teacher. She had always been a strange one—accused of lunacy—and with the spear she was wielding, Maya was sure she would have to agree.

"_You...!_" Maya's hands were in the middle of cocking her pistols, but Maya Okamura was faster.

Readying the spear, she made no hesitation as she impaled the journalist in the stomach. Maya felt numbness spread over her body and the guns quaked before dropping from her hands. As fast as the woman had appeared, Okamura disappeared with the spear. With nothing left to support her, Maya crumpled to the ground. Something warm and sticky spread over her lower body. She used the last of her strength to bring a hand to the wound, touch the warm liquid, and reveal the truth to her eyes.

Blood.

Of course it was blood.

_Dammit..._

She was staring up at the ceiling of Philemon's endless gazebo. It was beautiful...gazing at all of the stars like that. Then Tatsuya was there, blocking the stars, and forcing her into a sitting position. The others were gathered around, too, crying and screaming. Lisa's Persona was materialized, and the girl tried her best to heal the wound. A shimmering light engulfed Maya, as it always had when the group was in trouble throughout their battles.

But nothing could stop the agonizing pain that had a vice-grip on her now.

"Dammit, Ginko!" Eikichi slammed his fists against the floor. "Use a different healing spell or something!"

The tears from the blonde girl's eyes were pouring faster now.

"I—I'm _trying!_ But...The blood...The blood _just won't stop!_" Lisa paused for a moment. "Why...? Why can't my spell _cure_ this _wound!?_ Philemon!?" She leaned forward to try again. The shimmering light reappeared.

The butterfly man was above them now. Maya, though her vision had grown fuzzy, wondered why she hadn't seen him move closer before. He appeared angry, and clenched a fist.

"Nyarlathotep! So..._this_ is _why_ you brought about the rumor of the holy lance!"

Maya couldn't see the Crawling Chaos, but his voice rang throughout the air.

"It is said that blood poured endlessly from the wound caused by the lance that pierced Christ. It's absurd..._really._ Two-thousand years later, and you humans continue to tell this legend. This _rumor._ And now it means that this is surely a fatal wound, am I right?"

Lisa let out a wail and fell back onto her bottom.

Maya couldn't help but chuckle as a thought crossed her mind. She turned to Tatsuya and whispered, "I know...what is...worse...than...a forgotten...woman...It's a...woman...who holds back...others..." She grunted, and her unfocused eyes tried to meet those of her friends. "Everyone...you've got...to...forget about me...quickly..."

"What the hell are ya _talking_ about!?" Eikichi cried out and immediately brought a hand up to wipe the tears from his eyes. "Forget about you? Never! You...You still need to see my live debut, remember? You...promised..."

"That's right..." Lisa was pressing both of her hands against Maya's abdomen. "This wound's not bad. It's gonna heal right up!" She ignored the blood that gushed in between her fingers, and stained the girl's hands and uniform. "Your clothes...They're all dirty, Big Sis. I'll go with you and help pick out some new ones. We'll go shopping together...I promise!"

Jun leaned in, "I want to show you all my favorite place! There are so many kinds of flowers that bloom there...It's just beautiful..."

"You can't die here..." Tatsuya uttered through gritted teeth. "You _can't._ I _won't_ allow it!"

But Maya simply brought a hand up to his cheek and whispered, "Thanks...all of...you. You...really...became...strong..." Her hand dropped and fell on top of something attached to her side. Tugging on the chain, she displayed her most prized possession. Though covered in blood, it was easily distinguishable, "Look...If anybody cries...Mr. Bunny's gonna...laugh...at...them..." The rabbit slipped from her shaky hands and her body sank back against Tatsuya's arms. "Nobody...has the right...to make...your dreams come...true...except...you...You'll be okay...if you just...hang...on...to...your...dreams..."

Her world went dark, and the screams grew louder around her cold form.

\/\/\/

Screams...

Maybe it was _her..._

Maybe _she_ was the one screaming.

"Maya...! Maya!"

Someone was shaking her. Someone unfamiliar in that territory. That...dream.

"You're having a nightmare! C'mon, wake up!"

Maya snapped her eyes open and instead of staring out into the stars above a golden gazebo, was looking up at a ceiling fan.

She felt herself stop screaming as her surroundings changed.

But...unfamiliar...

Wait...This wasn't _her_ room...

"Thank God," came a male voice. "You nearly gave me a heart attack..."

The journalist's eyes glanced to her right and she recognized the navy-haired youth as her good friend and ally. He was kneeling beside her, and her eyes caught sight of an armrest belonging to a black, leather couch.

"H-Hero?" she managed. Her voice cracked from being so hoarse and raspy.

"Oh, let me get you some water," he jumped to his feet and bolted into the next room over. "You must be thirsty," he called from somewhere far away. "Just a second!"

Then there was running water. Maya struggled to sit up and look around. Glancing down, she realized she was clad in nothing more than a pink bathrobe. Feeling her face go bright red, her attention whirled on the hallway that she had last seen Hero disappear into.

_That peeping tom! How did he—?_

"Hero!" she grabbed the ends of the robe and pulled them tighter around her. "Hero, _why_ am I in my bathrobe and _not_ the clothes I stepped into my apartment in earlier!?"

There was no answer. Maya frowned.

_I'll ambush him when he comes back._

Trying to take her mind off of the matter, she averted her eyes.

The setting was unfamiliar, but a lovely room was unveiled before her. There were photos all over the walls—some strictly for décor, and others were presented as family photos. A chandelier hung from the other side of the large room, and there was a dying flower arrangement on the other side of the room. Carnations...? They were too wilted to tell. Different antiques lined the wall—there was a gorgeous grandfather clock—and a large staircase that spiraled to the upper floor behind her.

_I want to get a closer look at the pictures..._

Slowly bracing herself to disengage her body from the couch, she made sure she could balance, and then turned. Slowly padding over to the wall, she stared up at the set of family photos. Sure enough, Mr. Stonefield was a bright faced American and Mrs. Stonefield could pass for one, if Maya hadn't already noticed the Japanese in her. Each photo shared a different time in history. A full head of brown hair Mr. Stonefield was playing with a bubbly baby who had only a few navy locks. Little baby Hero was clad in a diaper, waving his arms, in a home that looked different than this one.

In the next photo, Mr. and Mrs. Stonefield were hugging in an open field. Mr. Stonefield had a perfectly chiseled face and a solid chin. Still, his pearly teeth were perfect and his hair was rustled by the wind coming from behind them. He was a built man, and his clothes revealed their worth. Mrs. Stonefield was a gorgeous Japanese woman with dark locks and red highlights. Her eyes were light brown and her smile was even bigger than her husband's.

_They look so very much in love. I'm jealous._

Another picture revealed a toddler Hero, who was playing with a remote controlled helicopter with his father. The one next to that was Hero as an elementary school student with his mother. The two were in a black car waving out the window.

Maya smiled.

_He must have wonderful parents. What a wonderful way to grow up. I'm envious._

Then something occurred to Maya. A frown replaced her smile and she peered up closer at the photos.

"Like what you see?" she heard her friend come back from the kitchen. "I really wish mom would take down my baby photos. Makes it hard for me to get a date when all girls see are my poopy diapers and swollen face from crying."

The joke went unnoticed as Maya used a finger to point up at the family photos.

"You don't look like either of your parents. Not at all."

Something unreadable flashed across Hero's face and he stepped forward to hand Maya her glass of water.

She didn't bother to take it.

"Seriously? You can tell that?"

Maya rolled her eyes. "You don't even look _half_ Japanese, Hero. You expect me to pass you for one? Your father is American and your mother is Japanese. Neither have the blue hair or blue eyes. And you _don't_ have their nose."

"Oh..." Hero turned away and rubbed the back of his neck. He again held out the glass of water to her without meeting Maya's eyes.

She glanced down at it.

"Thanks," she took the glass, and stared back up at him. "So, you gonna tell me the truth?"

"All right, all right," he snapped, but it wasn't in any way or shape considered as rude. "I'm _adopted._ Satisfied now?"

Maya blinked and nearly dropped the water from her hands. Was he being serious? He wasn't often serious, especially about his own life. But his hard eyes told her he was _very_ much serious. "Oh...I...I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bring up such a sensitive subject..."

He waved a hand at her. "Don't worry about it. You're pretty much the only one who knows anyway." When she didn't say anything more, Hero shook his head and a smile crossed his face. "Look, all right, Ms. Journalist. Here's the scoop. I, Hero Stonefield, was originally born as a Murakami. My father had already bailed by the time I was born, and my useless mother was a man-chaser—often known for robbing the cradle. Long story short, there was an accident that really doesn't classify itself as an accident. My mother was killed and I was placed into the foster system. It didn't take long before I was adopted by the Stonefields, and, for that, I'm eternally grateful. And we all lived happily ever after."

His story was finished with a shining grin. Maya, on the other hand, appeared horrified.

"I...I..."

"Sit down, Maya," Hero gestured back toward the couch. "You appear pale, and you _have_ had quite the night."

She allowed him to guide her back to her warm spot on the leather couch. She was still cupping the glass of water with both of her tiny hands, in complete shock over what he had told her. Still, he remained composed, and he commanded her to take a drink of water. She absentmindedly complied as he took a seat beside her on the couch.

"Now then," he cleared his throat. "I'm sure we're not _really_ here to talk about my upbringing, right? I appreciate that you like the place though. We have other things to discuss. Do you remember what happened earlier this evening?"

Now that he had mentioned it...

"I..." her mind was reeling in reverse. She clutched the cup even tighter. "I was on the bed..." Her head whirled around to meet his waiting eyes, "Ulala moved out! I...I had just seen her empty room and..." She trailed off and felt the tears brim at her eyes. "Ulala..."

"I have a hunch that she decided to move out after seeing you with Baofu," Hero suggested. "I don't know the details, but Baofu made it sound like they have an..._interesting_...relationship."

"If that's what you can even _call_ it," she grumbled. "Damn Baofu..."

"What about after? What then?"

Maya took in a deep breath and craned her eyes heavenward to stare at the ceiling fan rotating endlessly above them.

A voice. Red. Warm.

"Someone..." Maya paused. "Someone said...'Mother Rhea, don't you cry,' and then I felt my body being...dowsed...Dowsed in..." she fell silent.

"I suppose that's about the time I pick up." Hero cleared his throat and then began, "Tatsuya was there when I managed to make it into your apartment."

The woman's eyes widened in horror. "Tatsuya? Are you _serious?_" A series of thoughts flooded her mind. "Why was he there? Did he encounter the one who attacked me? Does he remember his Persona—"

"Maya, _calm down._" Hero placed both of his hands on her shoulders. She suddenly recalled the pink bathrobe.

"And _how_ did I come to be dressed in nothing more than _this?_" she gestured to the robe.

Hero wisely dropped his arms and leaned back, eyes vacillating back and forth. "That...uh...That can be explained...and...uh..._will_ be explained. Just...Just give me a minute."

She crossed her arms, only pretending to be angry, "You have thirty seconds."

"Thirty seconds? That's not _nearly_ enough time—"

"Twenty-four seconds left."

"Tatsuya called me to your apartment. He said he had news that couldn't wait—sounded pretty happy, too—but by the time I got here, both you and he were unconscious. To answer your question, his Persona forcibly awoke to protect him. Apollo, I think it was...Anyway, his Persona spoke to me through my Persona. Your attacker was one of the Brass Petals we encountered in Kasugayama."

Maya fell pale. "O-One of _them?_"

Hero nodded. "I chased him off and called Baofu over. We tried to clean you up, but there was so much blood. Not yours, we concluded, but definitely human. That's why we had to change your clothes." Red managed to find the raven-haired woman's face. "I didn't peek!" he shrieked. "Honest! C'mon, what do you _take_ me for?" She didn't answer right away, and he took the opportunity to mutter, "If you want your clothes back, you're going to have to dry clean them, Maya. Sorry. Blood's hard to get out of clothes, you know."

She changed the topic, despite the desire to stomp on his foot.

"Does Tatsuya remember the 'Other Side,' Hero?"

He looked away, "I don't know. None of us will know until he wakes up. He's staying at Baofu's right now."

"Baofu?" her eyes widened and she tried to blink away the confusion.

"Yeah," Hero nodded. "We thought it was safe if we keep you two separated for a while. I have a hunch that the Brass Petals know who you both are. They know about the 'Other Side,' and they know about Tatsuya's part in the story."

Maya's eyes fell.

"I...I was hoping that that part of my life was over. I wanted a normal life. After everything..." she looked back up at her friend, "...is that too much to ask?"

Hero turned away. For once, _he_ didn't know how to console her.

Maya stared up at the ceiling fan again, allowing her mind to reel backward. Her eyes clouded up.

"Ulala hates me...Katsuya's dead...Tatsuya doesn't remember who I am..."

She could feel the hot tears brimming at her eyes. She didn't want them to fall, but simply thinking of them all...everything she had lost.

"Maya, please don't cry," Hero was at her side when she finally broke down, her hands gluing themselves to her face. "Please, please. None of this is your fault. We'll make it better. Come on, smile for me."

She wanted to.

She wanted to think positive.

But not right now.

\/\/\/

"You bastard!" Tatsuya clutched his cell phone tightly and punched the stone wall to the outside of Peace Diner. His bike was in the parking spot behind him. "How come it took _this_ long for you to contact me!?"

He was pacing back and forth, his hand on his head and grabbing at his hair. His helmet was on the sidewalk below him. He had the sudden urge to kick it.

_"Tatsuya, please calm down. I wanted to call earlier, but there was paperwork to be done. We only made it out of that cave earlier today. Believe me, I __**will**__ be having a talk with the force here. You were the first one I wanted to call!"_

"I hate you," Tatsuya spat into the phone, tears rolling down his cheeks. "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!"

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few moments.

_"...Feel better now?"_

"Dammit, Katsuya!" the younger Suou clenched his teeth together, but couldn't suppress the lump in his throat. "You had us all really worried, you know!"

_"I __**do**__ know that..."_ Katsuya's voice changed to a mixture of regret and sadness. _"I'm really sorry, little brother."_

"Tell them we're suing," Tatsuya decided to kick his helmet after all. It flew in the shape of a rainbow down the sidewalk, clanked hatefully to the ground, and rolled some feet away after that.

_"No, we are __**not**__ suing. I accepted full responsibility entering that cave, Tatsuya. I knew the risks."_

"You could've _died!_ That doesn't warrant a lawsuit? You're too soft!"

Katsuya merely chuckled on the other end.

Tatsuya wiped his tears away and walked brusquely down the sidewalk to retrieve his helmet.

"When will you be home?" he asked.

_"I've been dismissed from the case here because of the accident. I'm catching the first morning flight out of here. I hope that's all right with you. I haven't quite rested since it's all happened. I should be home sometime tomorrow evening."_

Tatsuya took in a deep breath and then exhaled. "Yeah, you probably are pretty tired. All right, big brother. I'll straighten the apartment for when you get home. I expect some accounting of what happened, all right? And you need to call Maya, too. She was especially worried about you."

Something seemed to catch itself in Katsuya's voice, _"O-Oh...is that right?"_

"Yeah. It was really bad. Hero had to come over and take care of her and—"

_"Hero? ...Who's 'Hero?'"_

"Oh, that's right. You don't know him. He just moved to Sumaru a couple of weeks ago. He and Maya have been hanging out quite a bit actually. I think he's a pretty chill guy, if you ask me." A thought crossed Tatsuya's mind and he was forced to chuckle. "Actually, it's hilarious because Maya keeps getting teased that he's her new boyfriend. I mean, the three of us were at Peace Diner the other night and—"

_"Y-You know, Tatsuya. Why don't you tell me another time, all right? I need to go."_

The phone clicked and Tatsuya paused. He stared at the screen that had reverted back to his wallpaper and frowned.

"What the hell is _his_ problem? We all think he's dead and _that's_ his attitude? Maybe I won't clean the apartment after all."

\/\/\/

That's right. Katsuya was alive...

_"Prometheus...It has been a while since we last fought along side each other..."_

That was the news...The reason why he had been trying to get a hold of Maya.

_"Apollo...You shouldn't be here."_

_ "Why not? Are you referring to the boy? I am sure you would agree we are beyond secrets."_

He had been searching the ward for Hero, who had run out hours before. He was a tough guy to hunt down. Tired, he had decided to stop at the diner for a burger and try calling the navy-haired man again. But he hadn't gotten two feet inside the door when his phone jittered and an unknown number appeared across the interface of his screen.

_"But is it worth the risk of the world? Surely you understand the consequences if he remembers. That day...we agreed never to speak of it again."_

Normally, he didn't pick up for unknown numbers; he let them go to voice mail. He didn't know _what_ had compelled him to answer.

_"Prometheus...I regret to inform you that those who wish him harm already intend to do away with this world. With or without our influence...he __**will**__ remember."_

"Katsuya?"

"You ever gonna wake up?"

There was a kick down toward his lower legs, but not exactly aimed at his body. It startled Tatsuya awake, nonetheless, and he found himself staring up at Baofu, whose hair was dangling only inches from the teen's face.

"Baofu?" Tatsuya squinted and swatted Baofu's locks out of his face.

The wiretapper stepped back, giving the boy room to sit up on the couch. He held a hand to his throbbing head, trying to recall the events from before.

"How...did I get here?" the teen asked, though his mind was still a whirl of thoughts.

"I brought you here," the wiretapper reached into his breast pocket and pulled out his pack of cigarettes. He fished one out and put the pack back.

"And Maya? What about Maya?"

"You walked in during a robbery. The assailants clocked you upside the head and Hero came in after."

Tatsuya's brows furrowed together and he didn't bother to look at Baofu.

_A...robbery? That doesn't make sense. I clearly remember the blood...Maya...and the creature named "Drayevarg" who attacked us. He called me the "Paradox Boy."_

"That..." Tatsuya shook his head. "That can't be. I remember walking into the apartment and seeing Maya covered in blood." He finally glanced up to the other man, "Who's the 'Paradox Boy,' Baofu?"

He thought he saw the wiretapper flinch, but then Baofu took a long drag from his cigarette.

Maybe he had imagined it?

Baofu chuckled, "What the hell have _you_ been smoking, kid? Maya's fine—you can even ask her in the morning. It's still too early now."

"What time is it?"

"About four-thirty. Too early to do anything but late enough to have a conversation."

"Conversation...?" Tatsuya suddenly released a frown. "Why would _I_ want to have one with _you?_"

The wiretapper moved backward to his desk and flicked the ashes from his cigarette into the glass tray.

"You're still sore about the morgue scenario, huh?"

"And with good reason!" the teen pushed himself off the couch, but dizziness overwhelmed him and he found himself falling back down onto the cushion. He waited for the rush to clear before he continued. "Then you found out about what happened to Katsuya and you walked out on me. I thought you two were friends."

"Depends on how you define the word 'friend.'"

"With you, I guess it's _loosely,_" Tatsuya rolled his eyes and glanced around the messy room. It reeked of bourbon. "I want the hell out of here. _Now._"

Suddenly, Baofu turned serious. He stood straight up and attempted to block the boy's path.

"Now, hold your horses, kid. I don't think that's a good idea. I mean, how do you think you're gonna get home, anyway? Your bike's still over at Maya's."

"Never stopped me before. That's why I've got two thumbs." Tatsuya stood up again, more slowly this time.

"Hitchhiking is out of the question. Look, sorry you're still pissed at me, but let's be rational about this, all right?" He put his hands out to stop Tatsuya, but made sure to keep the cigarette pointed in a different direction. "Besides, you're still injured. You _could_ have a concussion after all."

"Oh, get off of it already," Tatsuya slapped his hand away. "And you're not telling me the truth, either. I _imagined_ a cloaked guy in Maya's apartment? Sure. He called me the 'Paradox Boy' and kept telling me to release some kind of...'Persona' or something. And what's the 'Other Side,' huh? I'll bet you know _all_ about that, Baofu."

The ends of Baofu's mouth were twitching.

Still, he kept his composure.

"Kid, it sounds like nonsense—"

"And, yet, _he_ managed to get into Maya's apartment without my knowing. _And_ douse her in blood."

"Look, how about we wait until Maya and Hero wake up and we'll explain it all then?"

Tatsuya's eyes widened, "W-Where are they, anyway? You never finished telling me what happened."

The wiretapper appeared to have relaxed. He leaned back and took another drag from his cigarette. Gray swirls rose up around his head.

"You kept interrupting me. The scenario was a robbery, all right? Dunno how Stonefield did it, but he managed to fight them off."

"That reminds me..." suspicion rose in the teen's voice again. "How have _you_ come to meet Hero, anyway? He never said anything about you..."

"We _just_ met, actually. Amano introduced us. I'm sure _she,_ at least, has mentioned me."

Tatsuya said nothing, but kept Baofu's stare. While it was _possible_ that they _had_ met, it still left the question of _why._ Hero was a far better person than Baofu with a seemingly more cleaner conscience. Why hang out with a crazy like Baofu?

He noted the question and would make sure to ask Hero later.

"Anyway..." Baofu drug the word out, as though he were anticipating more interruptions. When he got none, he said, "I was on my way to meet up with Maya anyway. Guess her roommate, Serizawa, has flown the coop and she wanted to talk to me."

"Why would _you_ care about _that?_"

Another drag. "Serizawa used to work for me."

Tatsuya frowned. "Point taken."

"I made it there after the robbers fled," Baofu flicked his cigarette into the ashtray again. "In case they came back, Stonefield took Maya back to his place and I brought you here."

The teen decided to sit back down on the couch. His knees were beginning to ache.

"That's dumb. Why separate us?"

"I wanted to talk to you, actually. In private. I heard you muttering your brother's name and you told Hero you had some kind of big news. Are the two related?"

Tatsuya took in a deep breath.

_That...That's right...The news I was going to share with Hero and Maya..._

"I got a phone call last night," he began. "It was from Katsuya." With a big smile, he finished, "He's alive."

Baofu dropped his cigarette to the floor.

\/\/\/

They weren't far from the hospital before Yuki's face lit up and she asked the others if they could stop by Yin and Yan.

"That's my part-time job," she explained. "I want to let them know I'm going to be a few minutes late to work since we're going to go and see Mary."

It wasn't far out of the way, so no one complained—save Mark.

He appeared edgy and impatient.

Of course, that was how Mark _always_ was. His mother spoiled him, since he was an only child. Despite that, he never treated her with much respect, which bothered Hero. He referred to her as his 'old lady,' and avoided her whenever possible.

Once, Hero and Mark were finishing lunch at the Peace Diner in Sun Mall when Mark suddenly had the desire to pick up a new baseball cap.

"Hey," he nudged, "let's hit up Rosa Candida."

But upon entering...

Mark's eyes widened, his body tensed, and he immediately reached back for the door. "Oh, shit! It's my mom's friend!"

"_Ma~rk!_" a frumpy woman with short, curly hair bounced up the boy. Mark appeared frightened. "Mark! You came at the _right_ time! Your mom is supposed to come by _any_ moment now to shop for clothes with me! Why don't you come with us? We can all shop together!"

Mark's hand was already cupping the doorknob and pushing it open.

"Mark," Hero whispered to him. "Mark, that woman is talking to you."

Offering the phoniest smile he could, Mark said in a sickeningly sweet voice, "Oh, really? Shoot, I gotta go actually."

The woman's hand shot out and wrapped around his arm, "Wait, Mark! Why don't you just come _shopping_ with us? Have your mom buy you a sweater or something."

"Mark," Hero whispered again. "Why don't you just wait here for your mom? I can walk home from here."

"_No!_" the other hissed through clenched teeth.

The woman released her hold on Mark, but appeared very unhappy in doing so. "Why not? I'm _sure_ your mother would be _really_ happy if you came. She should be here soon. Why don't you at _least_ just talk to her?"

"Because I...I left my books at school, that's why. Come on, Hero. I hope we make it before the janitor locks the school gates!"

Tearing out of Rosa Candida, Hero reluctantly followed, not wanting to see the woman's sad stare. He found his friend hiding behind a trash can across the way next to the antique store.

"Let's just wait here a while for her to leave. I still want a new hat, dammit!" Mark crouched lower and tried to make himself comfortable.

They waited an hour.

"Okay, my leg's cramping," Mark stood up. "Have you seen them come out of the store yet?"

Hero shifted his eyes to the store doors, "Uh...actually...I never saw your mom walk in."

"Well, then we might've missed them. Let's go back into Rosa Candida." He moved around the trash can and back into the store.

"Mark," Hero called after him. "You should _try_ to be nicer to your mom, you know..."

His advice went unheeded as Mark opened the doors again and peered inside.

"My mom isn't here, right?" he slowly peeked around the front counter, feeling a little more courageous. Hero moved in behind him. "And her friend?"

"Mark! Did you decide to come shopping with us after all?" the frumpy woman was spotted at the back of the store. She came waddling quickly toward them. "Your mom just called. She hit some traffic, but she's pulling into the parking lot right now!"

"Damn, she's still in here!" Mark whirled around and pushed Hero out of the way as he fled out the door. "Let's get out of here!"

Mark was unbelievable sometimes.

Pulled back into the present, Hero watched his friends point at the different houses on the street. Nate had stopped and given special attention to a house that sat far off. It was dumpy and falling apart. Boards were sprawled out on the dying lawn.

"How can a house like that manage to stay in the neighborhood without getting laughed out of society? I mean, what a small and undesirable house!"

"Psh..." Mark followed the rich boy's gaze. "_Any_ house would be small compared to your twenty million dollar mansion, Nate! Damn spoiled brat..."

Yuki followed up by stomping on Nate's foot. He screamed in pain and began to hop about while holding it.

"This is _T.J.'s_ house, Nate! Geez, only _you _would be able to insult her twice in one day!"

"T.J.'s, huh?" Mark blinked and stared back at the shed of a house. "Man...it looks...terrible..."

"Can you believe she works to help her family out?" Yuki sighed and turned away from the house. "I mean, I work, too, but it's all going into my future." She remained silent for a moment longer before pushing onward again, "Come on, we have to get to Yin and Yan."

Mark continued to stare at the house. "I get all choked up." Then, turning his attention to the still screaming and hopping Nate, "_You_ should get a part-time job, too, Nate! That way you can pay for Alfred's salary!"

The rest of the walk was filled with bickering from Nate and Mark and an occasional scolding from Yuki, who eventually stormed far ahead of the others. Hero kept in the back to himself, hands in his pockets, and he stared up at the trees above them. The wind had come along, making it a little colder.

Yin and Yan was on the other side of the street, nestled in between some other shops, and Yuki took a deep breath before going inside.

"He~y," she sang out, which was unusual for her.

Come to think of it, her working part-time was unusual, too, considering her punk background. Nevertheless, Hero found it commendable.

A woman in red uniform peeked her head out from behind the counter. She recognized Yuki at once and smiled.

"Yuki! What's up? You're early."

Standing in front of the counter, Yuki put on her most professional face, and said, "I just wanted to let you know I was visiting a friend in the hospital and may be a little late to work, if that's all right."

The woman laughed, "Oh, Yuki. You're so responsible. Thank you for letting me know."

"Psh," Mark rolled his eyes and made a secret imitation of the woman to Nate. He raised his pitch to match a valley girl, "Like, oh mah Gawd, Yuki! Shoooo reshponshible!"

Nate elbowed him.

"Stuff it, Mark. You couldn't get a job if they were hiring at a lemonade stand."

Mark saw red and began to roll up his sleeves. "Oh, yeah, asshole? Wanna say _that_ again?"

Hero slipped around the corner. It was best to pretend as if he didn't know his other male counterparts. Sidestepping down the aisle, his eyes were still on the arguing duo, and he didn't realize until he felt the collision behind him that someone else had been there.

"Oh!"

Hero turned around just in time to see cans raining to the ground from a woman's arms. She watched them tumble, crash, and roll in different directions around the aisle.

"Ahhh," Hero rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm really sorry about that, ma'am..."

She leaned down, her light brown ponytail falling over her shoulder. "No, no," she scooped the cans back into her arms. "It's all right. I didn't see you either."

Feeling guilty, he got down on all fours and collected the cans. "Still, I should've been paying attention." He examined a can and handed it to her, "This one's dented. You might want to get another one. Sorry again..."

"Maybe I should've gotten a basket after all," she lightly laughed and took the can. She stared Hero over a moment longer, "You go to St. Hermelin, don't you? My son goes there too. Maybe you know him? His name's Chris. Chris Kido."

Hero thought a moment.

_Oh...That's the troublemaker we met in that closed off classroom. Best not tell his __**mother**__ that._

Chris was an odd one. For a moment, Hero's mind reeled back to a few days before. Mark had wanted to show him and Nate something (Yuki had been along at the time because she had just gotten off work) at his "hideout." Hero had imagined something cool, but all he got was the old, abandoned factory.

"This place is dirty and gross!" Nate held his nose. "It reeks in here!" Then something caught his attention as something flickered in the shadows. "Hey, Mark, is that your 'homeboy' over there?"

"Huh?" Mark followed Nate's gaze. Chris was standing behind some old rigs. Mark gave a friendly wave, "Oh, 'sup, Chris! What are you doing here?"

Chris looked on with a stony glare. He moved away from the rigs, shoved his hands into his pockets, and stopped in front of the group.

Frowning deeply, he said, "You guys shouldn't come here. You'll get killed."

He made his way to the front door and didn't stop, even while Mark was screaming, "What's up! Hey! Wait up, Chris!"

Once the loner had made it evident that he _wasn't_ going to "wait up," Mark quieted, but puffed out his cheeks, frustrated.

"I wonder what he's up to?" Yuki tapped a finger against her cheek. "He's been wandering around all over the place a lot. Remember the sealed classroom?" She turned to Nate, who was rather indifferent. He seemed more disgusted by the smell and the dank vicinity.

"He's a punk," Nate shrugged. "He does punk things. Who cares?"

Hero's memory bubble was popped when someone touched his arm. Chris' mom was staring back at him.

"Oh...Y-Yeah," Hero put on a wide, goofy grin. "I know him. We're in the same class together, actually."

Her eyes sparkled enthusiastically. "Really? Is that so? That's wonderful!" Then something changed in her face and she looked down at the cans she had collected into her arms, "I mean...I know that Chris isn't very sociable..." She stood up, arms full of cans, and Hero handed her the last one he could find, "I hope I'm not asking for too much, but could you be friends with Chris? He doesn't show it, but I know he's lonely."

Hero fidgeted a bit.

_I doubt he's lonely. But his mom looks so desperate...and I __**did**__ dent almost all of her cans..._

"Of course," he grinned again.

"Really!?" she beamed even wider now. "Oh, thank you so much! Please, come over to our house sometime! I'll give you the address..."

She went to the other side of the store, settled her things into a basket, and then reached into her purse for a pen and paper. She wrote down the address, even added in oral directions, and handed the paper to Hero. Around that time, Yuki began to call for him, telling him it was time to go.

"We can't keep Mary waiting," she said. "They're all right if I come in an hour late or so, meaning we have plenty of time to visit her."

Mark was back to leading everyone to the hospital, though he still appeared sore with Nate. Nate was rubbing his arm and sulking. Yuki surmised that Mark had punched him.

It made Hero chuckle a bit. He knew the rich boy took grief from no one, and it was odd to see that he had accepted a blow from Mark. The last time he had seen Nate get close into a fist fight was at the Sebec Building a couple of weeks ago. Hero had often caught the rich boy staring at the towering building. He would glower, clench his teeth, and stomp past it.

Hero had no idea what had Nate so riled up.

But then, one day while Mark, Hero, and Nate were all hanging out together, curiosity got the best of the Nanjo boy and he walked in. Hero was expecting the receptionist, and some answers as to _why_ they were there.

But all they got was the bodyguard who came off as though he had left his job at the World Wrestling Championship for a lower-grade salary working for Sebec. His face was like an oddly shaped boulder and he was nearly bald. Hero was surprised he could fit into that little black suit at all.

"What the...?" he left his post at the front desk and accosted the children, thundering with each step he took. "What are you _kids_ doing here!? _Get out!_"

He was rolling up his sleeves. The bodyguard was about to pick Mark up and hurl him out the door...without even opening it, of course.

But before he was allowed the chance, another man had entered the room. He wasn't as built as the bodyguard, but he was tall, and loomed over the children with even greater intimidation.

Hero didn't know why, but he felt a sudden shudder, and thought he could hear voices. But hearing voices was like admitting to insanity.

He shook the thought immediately from his mind.

"Tiny, what's the commotion?" the man asked, but he was already eying Nate.

"Guido!" the rich boy accepted his stare and even took a step toward him.

The man named "Guido" broke out into a round of sophisticated chuckles. "My, my, what a pleasant surprise! To what do we owe the honor of a visit from a rich heir to a small and simple company such as ours?

Nate clenched his fists. "I...I didn't come to see _you._ I'm just tagging along with my friends."

Hero wondered why the rich boy wasn't coming clean. After all, it had been _Nate_ who had broke away from the group to come into Sebec. Mark and Hero had only followed after.

"Well, either way, it is _surely_ an honor for the _Great Heir_ and _his_ friends to come visit me at my humble and lowly establishment," Guido spread his arms big and gestured to the interior of his lobby.

"Drop the sarcasm!" Nate's fists clenched even tighter. "We didn't _come_ here to play around with _you._"

The bodyguard jumped in between them, now wanting to sumo-squash Nate in front of everyone. "_You little brat!_"

"Stay back, Tiny," Guido put an arm on his shoulder. Confused, Tiny did as he was asked, but still shot glares at Nate and the rest of the group. Guido straightened his back, "Remember, child, _you're_ the one who came into _my_ company. It seems like your parents never took the time to discipline you. But that's no matter. As you _are_ in _my_ company, I'll make the time to teach you how to address people with respect."

Mark cracked up laughing and pointed to Guido, "Man, wassup with _you!?_ You're an old fart!"

Guido's attention turned, and his face was budding red.

Before he could respond, Tiny intervened.

"Mr. Sardenia. I regret to interrupt you but...it's almost time."

As wonderful as punching Mark and nutcrunching Nate sounded, Guido had to restrain himself. Gathering his composure, he offered a small smile and, while still staring at the group, said, "I'll be right there. If you'll excuse me...children."

He turned and walked through a door at the far end of the room. Nate shook a fist at Guido.

"I hope your company goes bankrupt!"

What Nate had against the CEO, Hero couldn't figure out.

By the time he had refocused, Hero and his friends were standing outside of the hospital, looking up at the large, white building.

"We're here!" Mark cheered. "Let's go see Mary!"

Hero smiled.

It took him a long time before he realized that the voices he had heard in his head was Persona Resonance between him and Guido and that he hadn't been going crazy after all.

\/\/\/

The phone in Hero's pocket startled him awake a little after five. It took him a moment to remember where he was and why Maya was sleeping next to him on the couch. His body reacting automatically, he fished into his pocket, grabbed his phone, and looked at the screen.

"Baofu..." he slurred, tired thoughts trying to put together why the wiretapper would be calling him only hours after they had last seen each other.

...Had something happened?

"Hello?" Hero tried not to sound half asleep, but was certain he had failed.

_"Stonefield? You sound drunk."_

The navy-haired man slowly pushed himself off the couch and walked into the next room over, which happened to be his oversized dining room.

"No, I was _asleep._ Not sure if you remember the crazy night we had."

_"Oh yeah? Well, it's about to get crazier. Amano still asleep?"_

Hero turned around and peeked back out into the other room.

"Yeah. Well...she _was_ awake about forty-five minutes ago. She's doing all right now, except she's still shaken about the whole thing."

There was a chuckle on the other end of the line.

_"She say anything about her new dress attire?"_

The younger man blew air out from his mouth and rolled his eyes. "I think I _explained_ it rather well. Her thoughts were more concentrated on what happened earlier."

_"That so? Did she see who attacked her?"_

"No. She said that all she remembered was someone saying something like, 'don't cry, Mother Rhea,' and then being doused in red. She blacked out after that."

_"Mother Rhea, huh? Do these cloaked cult freaks __**really**__ believe Amano to be her?"_

"Search me," Hero shrugged, though he knew Baofu couldn't see. "I think it might have a connection, like you said. Tatsuya and Maya's histories together at least."

_"And now I'm even more than certain that their connections are legitimate. I had an...__**interesting**__ chat with Tatsuya."_

"Oh?" Hero's brows furrowed together and he found a place to sit at his large dining room table. "I'm curious."

_"The first thing he asked me about was why that cultist freak called him the 'Paradox Boy.'"_

The younger man slapped his forehead, feeling something horrible coming on. "Oh no..."

_"You're telling me. He asked about Personas __**and**__ the 'Other Side' as well. You said earlier that your Persona made resonance with his. It's possible that his made the same connection and he's __**recognized**__ that."_

"That's bad. That's _really_ bad."

_"Don't I know it? If I didn't know any better, I'd say that these cult guys have a __**clear**__ idea of the 'Other Side,' what took place, and they're trying to get little Suou to remember. They __**want**__ the two sides to merge. Still...I can't piece together the ritual acts. __**Why**__ are they killing people?"_

Hero chewed on the inside of his cheek and thought for a long while.

"I can convince Maya to stay away from Tatsuya, but Tatsuya's going to wonder what's going on. He'll become suspicious. And then, if I think I know him well enough, he'll rebel. It won't be good for our standings. The Brass Petals will pick him off."

_"I'm seeing the same scenario play out. But..." _Baofu chuckled all of a sudden, _"Little Suou told me something that's in our favor—__**very**__ much so."_

"What's that?"

_"His brother's alive. Katsuya didn't die in the ruins after all. And he's coming home. __**Tomorrow.**__"_

Hero felt his jaw drop and he nearly did the same with the phone. "W-What!?"

_"Yeah, I reacted about the same. I don't know much of the details, and Suou ain't gonna confide in his little bro for the same reasons you and I are discussing. That means Suou might have some information on the IC case and what's going on. We gotta ambush him as soon as possible. I tried calling his cell, but the wuss has his phone turned off."_

Hero was grinning. "So..._that's_ the big news Tatsuya wanted to tell us. No wonder he sounded so happy. Man, this is really gonna make Maya's night."

_"Don't say anything to her yet, all right? There's something else I've contemplated, too."_

"What's that?"

_"Someone's setting Tatsuya up. Maybe it's not his brother calling after all."_

The younger man's grin was swallowed and a frown was born. "Wait...what?"

_"Don't get me wrong, I always thought Suou was alive, but hear me out, all right? Those cultists __**know**__ about Tatsuya inside and out. They could be impersonating his older brother, given the circumstances, to try to get close to him. We won't know until Katsuya comes back. Until then, this news is between you and me, got it?"_

Hero sighed and sunk lower into his chair. "Man...Maya would've been so happy, too."

_"Don't think I don't wanna tell her. Hell, if Serizawa wasn't such a bitch, I'd be phoning her, too."_

Shaking his head, the younger man held the phone closer to his ear. "All right, all right, I won't say anything. But then...I wonder...if Katsuya made it out alive, what about Mark?"

_"Your buddy, right? I've thought about that, too. If Suou comes back, we'll ask. Maybe the two met or something."_

"Yeah...I might give Nate a ring and just ask...out of curiosity."

_"You do what you need to do, but don't blow our cover. I have an inside source who I've been working with for a while now. I'm going to give him a call later on this morning and I'll call you back. Until then, make sure to keep an eye on Amano."_

"Got'cha," and Hero hung up the phone.

\/\/\/

"If I was there _right_ now, Mark, I'd bust you in the face!" Brad was pacing back and forth, his cell phone pressed tightly up against his ear. His other hand was ruffling through his unkempt hair.

Nate watched the actor intently, excitement and relief overwhelming him. Chris, although the stolid type, was having a hard time keeping his normally silent demeanor. Yuki, who didn't have to be in to work until noon, was sitting in the recliner across from Chris, and while her relief was made known, she had earlier entered the Nanjo penthouse looking frail and unfocused. Nate was surprised she had arrived at seven that morning. He hadn't gotten much sleep, along with Chris, and Brad wasn't showing any signs of a early morning hangover. Already it was turning out to be a busy morning.

Brad stopped pacing. "What do you mean? ...You're coming to Sumaru with that detective, _right?_ ...Whaddya _mean_ 'no!?'"

"Oh, _come on!_" Chris shouted from across the room and jumped to his feet. "Give me the phone, Brad. _I'll_ talk some sense into that punk!"

Brad held the phone away from him ear with a smile and turned to Chris, "He heard you, man. You freaked him out. He said he'll be on the plane."

"That's what I thought," Chris said with an added, "hmph," and sat back down.

"Well, you'd _better_ be on that plane," Brad's attention was back to the conversation on the phone. "If not, you're in for a world of hurt.I _will _hunt you down, Mark. After the shit you pulled, we'd _better_ see you tonight...All right, ciao." The actor closed the lid to his phone and turned back to his friends with a gigantic grin on his face. "He's alive! They're _both_ alive!"

"Detective Suou, too?" Nate's smile was almost as wide. "I can't believe this. It's remarkable! Did he say how? What happened?"

Brad shook his head, and appeared as though he wanted to sit on the couch, but his excitement wouldn't allow him.

"Dunno, he said he met up with the detective in the ruins, but couldn't go into much detail because the police were in the room. Guess it was a Persona thing. That detective's a Persona User, too, ain't he?"

Nate nodded, "Correct. It explains a lot, really. And, yet, nothing at all."

"Saves us a trip to Lunarvale at least," Chris turned to Yuki.

"Yeah," her eyes narrowed, "thanks again for calling me in the middle of the night, Chris. Really appreciate it."

"So?" Brad interrupted. "We're gonna do something special for him, right? They're heading to Sumaru tonight on the plane."

"I don't trust him," Chris folded his arms. "He'll get cold feet or something. I'm picking him up at the airport. Did he say when they'd get in?"

"About eight. So we should start planning on a party, right?" Brad smiled as his eyes slyly wandered over to Yuki, "It was _your_ idea in the first place."

She averted her eyes from his, "As relieved as I am that Mark and Katsuya are alive, I don't think there's any way I can get the day off from work. My boss chewed out Maya on a report and then me for being late. Mizuno is on edge because a famous author that she fantasizes about is coming to Sumaru in a week or so. She's pissed because she wanted Maya to write a report and she didn't like what was written."

"You've been going through a lot," Nate said. "I'll take it from here. I'll call Parabellum and ask to reserve the bar for the night."

"You really think they'll loan us the bar?" Yuki crossed her legs. "I mean...it'll cost a fortune to have them serve drinks and food all night."

"Ha!" Brad laughed. "You're forgetting who you're _talking_ to, Yuki."

She gave a smaller laugh, "You're right. I wasn't thinking straight."

"Great!" the actor slapped the top of the couch behind Nate, causing the Nanjo boy to become startled and jump. "I'll start inviting everyone! Let's see...Gotta ask Ellen—Do you think it's gonna be a problem to invite Mary?"

"Mary's one of us," Yuki's brows furrowed and her lips fell into a deep frown. "Mark's just gonna have to get used to it."

Nate took the opportunity to stand up. "I'll make the phone call to Parabellum. Excuse me..." He left the conversation on the talk of inviting Chunky, Tammy, and Tad while he fished for his cell phone. Stepping outside, he let the door shut behind him and Nate took a deep breath.

While the intention was to _eventually_ call Parabellum, the Nanjo heir had other things on his mind. He dialed a number and brought the ringing phone to his ears. After three rings, the phone picked up.

_"This is Stonefield."_

"Hero," Nate turned his back against the door and talked lowly, even though he knew the others couldn't possibly hear him. "It's me, Nate."

His friend's voice picked up with slight enthusiasm. _"Nate? It's been quite a few days, eh? What's going on?"_

Nate wasn't quite sure how to announce the good news, and he was worried that he would get tongue-tied while trying to speak. Taking in a deep breath, he quickly blurted out, "Mark's alive, and so is Detective Suou. Mark just called Brad this morning."

There was a pause on the other end and then it was accompanied by a low whistle. The whistle eventually evolved into a, _"Yes! Thank God, yes! Katsuya called Tatsuya last night, actually, but to __**hear**__ that they're __**actually**__ alive...!"_ Hero trailed off and made more "woot!" noises. The heir chuckled a bit, not often hearing his friend be so emotional or talkative. It was a relief, actually.

Then he became puzzled.

"Detective Suou called Tatsuya last night? Wait...I wasn't aware that _you_ knew Tatsuya, Hero..."

There was sudden silence.

Then Hero said, _"I ran into Maya and Tatsuya during the first couple days of my visit. I had no idea that they were connected to Katsuya, who was in the same cave-in with Mark. If I had known, I would've notified you."_

_ Notified?_ Nate chewed on the inside of his mouth. He wanted to say that the scenario appeared fishy, but decided to leave well enough alone until they could talk face to face.

He changed the subject, "I wonder why Mark took so long to call. After all, they strolled into the police station together from what Mark told Brad."

_"R-Really? They ended up crashing into each other in the ruins?"_

"Apparently so. I wanted to tell you the good news, Hero. You see, they're coming into town tonight—about eight or so. Yuki and Brad are planning a party-reunion event of sorts at Parabellum. Are you familiar with that place?"

_"I'll manage to find it. About what time?"_

"Eight-thirty. Just about everyone is here in Sumaru anyway except for Alana anyway. I haven't heard from her in a while."

_"Let __**me**__ take care of that, Nate. I'll be there at Parabellum at eight."_

The rich heir swallowed and then looked to the sky. "Actually, I was wondering if you could be there at seven-thirty. There's...something I want to talk to you about."

_"Something wrong?"_

"Maybe. I don't quite know. Just...Just meet me there at seven-thirty, please?"

_"I'll do that. See you then."_

"See you then."

But trouble seemed to follow Nate, even after he ended the call.

\/\/\/

He didn't _care_ if he was being followed. He didn't _care_ if Baofu was upset he had left.

Tatsuya Suou wanted _answers,_ and it was difficult enough waiting for his brother to get back to get them.

It was a quarter after eleven when he phoned Maya, but received no response. Tatsuya wondered if her phone had been damaged in the robbery. Then he called Hero's new cell number, but it went to his generic voice mail. Irritated by the lack of results he had gotten, the teen phoned one of his best friends and asked her out to Peace Diner in Yumezaki.

It was a pain because he didn't have his motorcycle, but taking the bus across wards was no big deal. Tatsuya had been in worse predicaments before. It took him a little less than an hour, but when he arrived, Anna Yoshizaka was waiting out front, her own motorcycle helmet in hand. She was dressed in her cycling gear, accompanied by a dog tag around her tiny neck.

"Haven't seen you in a while, stranger," she smiled and motioned for him to go inside.

"Thanks for meeting me here," Tatsuya opened the door for her, but Anna was hesitant to go through.

"What's with the sudden gentleman act? You've never opened the door for me before."

"Oh..." upon that remark, Tatsuya went through the door with Anna behind. "I've been hanging out with an older woman lately. Force of habit, I guess."

"Older woman, huh?" Anna chuckled as they walked to the corner of the restaurant and settled in at the same table Tatsuya and Maya had eaten at last week. Anna set her motorcycle helmet in the chair to reserve their spot. "She your _girlfriend?_"

The restaurant smelled of grease and hamburger meat. Tatsuya went to stand in line, his friend at his heels.

"Hardly," Tatsuya stared at the menu for the moment but found it to be useless. He was just going to order the same thing he did every time. "She's my brother's friend."

"Brother?" she blinked. "You mean the detective? Tatsuya...I saw the paper...I'm sorry, I totally forgot to call and say—"

"It's all right," the teen chuckled. "He just called me last night." His remark drained the color from Anna's face. Tatsuya quickly added, "He's alive. Him and the other guy that got caved in."

"R-Really?" her eyes fell to the floor. "But...But he was in there for almost a week and a half without food or water. Could he _really_ survive?"

Tatsuya shrugged. "Regardless of how he did it, he _did._ My brother's flying back in to Sumaru tonight, so when I find out the details, I'll let you know."

"I'll be looking forward to it."

When they got to the front, Tatsuya made his usual three double cheeseburger order with a side of seasoned fries. Anna asked for the chicken finger pieces and a coke. They sat back down at the table to wait for their order to come up.

"I don't understand how it happened..." Tatsuya's eyes were on the glossy surface of their table. "But he's alive." A smile crept along his face. "I'm so relieved. I called my mother and father, and I swear I've never heard them as happy as they were when I told them Katsuya was alive."

Anna shared a weak grin. "A lot of things have happened, haven't they? I've had bad experiences, too. But...at least someone's smiling on us, right?"

"You're telling me," his eyes shined brightly. "When I was telling you about the older lady I was hanging out with, there's also another guy—he helped me out a lot through the rough patches when I first heard Katsuya had died. Between the two of them, they really kept me afloat. I don't know what I would've done if I hadn't had them around."

"Ha, ha, they sound like good friends. I'm envious."

"Order number thirty-two!" rang out over the loudspeaker.

"Hmm..." Tatsuya gazed up at the ceiling where the speaker was. It dangled over the front counter. "That was fast. I'm not complaining though."

"I'll get our food," Anna stood up and walked to the front counter.

While she balanced the trays in her hands, Tatsuya caught sight of a familiar blonde walk into the establishment. Her hair was up in barrettes, and she was wearing the recognizable Seven Sisters uniform. For once, she was alone, which surprised Tatsuya. Normally, she was grouped with her cliquey friends.

Lisa Silverman spotted him and gave him an enthusiastic wave before bouncing over toward him. She took Anna's chair without thought, causing the helmet that had been placed there to topple to the floor.

"Tat-chan!" she looked him directly in the eye with a glimmering smile. "Fancy meeting you here. Are you alone?"

Tatsuya, who only knew the girl as a younger classmate of his, watched her. He decided not to enforce the fact that she should call someone she wasn't _exactly_ friends with (not to mention, someone older) "Senpai." Nevertheless, he jerked a thumb back to the approaching Anna Yoshizaka, who was carrying two trays of food, plus a drink. She stared dumbly down at the blonde who had stolen her seat.

"Anna was originally sitting there," Tatsuya informed.

"...Oh..." Lisa flushed and quickly scooted out of the seat.

"It's all right," Anna smiled. "You can sit there if you'd like. I just got a text from Noriko. Apparently, something's going on down at the track and field." She stared down at the tray in her hands. "Damn...I ordered food and everything, but I don't want to have to eat fast food before running the field." Glancing back at Lisa, she said, "Sorry if it's not what you want, but help yourself to my food. Talk to you later, Tatsuya." Then she turned to him, "Call me when you find out what happened with your brother. I'll be home later."

She stooped down to pick up her fallen helmet, waved goodbye to both of them, and walked out the door.

"Sorry," Lisa stared at the empty seat, wondering if it would indeed be okay to sit in it again. "Were you two on a date?"

"She's not my girlfriend." Tatsuya gestured to the chair, "Go ahead and sit. It was nice she offered you her food."

"Y-Yeah..." Lisa sat down and focused her attention on the chicken nuggets and coke. "Is it...really okay?"

Tatsuya was already digging into his own food. "Unless you want one of my burgers."

Lisa beamed. "Can I, Tat-chan? Oh, thank you so much."

He handed her a burger and watched her begin to eat.

"So, I didn't realize you were a fan of Peace Diner," Tatsuya took a bite out of his burger. As bad as he knew the food was for him, he loved Peace Diner and their burgers.

"Yeah, well, I was in the ward and it's pretty much the only good food joint they've got here." She mirrored his actions, took a bite, and looked up. "Say, your friend just mentioned something and I remembered...I saw your brother's obituary in the paper, Tat-chan. I'm so sorry..."

"Actually, he's not dead," Tatsuya stated as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "He called me last night. Apparently he survived the cave in."

"_Haime?_" she blinked, food still nestled in each of her cheeks. "How can that _be!?_"

"I don't know yet," he confessed. "He's coming home tonight. I imagine I'll get the whole story then."

"Wow...But, I'm so happy to hear that," Lisa followed with a smile, despite her attempts to rid the food she already had in her mouth.

Tatsuya chuckled a bit.

The front entrance bells chimed out again as two more ladies walked through the door. One was a redhead that Tatsuya vaguely recognized as his brother's friend.

...The other was Ellen Kirishima.

"Sorry about wanting to stop here..." the redhead apologized. "I usually come here after my workouts at GOLD Gym, and since you wanted to talk—"

The redhead had spotted him, and her words died on her lips. Ellen, who wondered why her friend was no longer speaking, had turned her attention as well.

"Oh!" Ellen quickly made her way over to the table. "Tatsuya! I...I didn't expect to see you here!"

"It's a hangout of mine," he frowned, trying to scoot away. He failed when Ellen embraced him in a tight hug.

"Oh, Tatsuya...I'm so _sorry_ to hear what happened to your brother. If there's anything I can do..." she pulled back and stared sadly down at him.

Something boiled inside of Tatsuya and he couldn't explain quite what it was. He wasn't sure if it was because he didn't like how she had tried to mother him, or how she had tried to become his brother's girlfriend.

Hell, he didn't know if it was just because he didn't like her.

But he _didn't_ like her, and didn't know why.

He wanted to shout things like, "Where were _you_ when we all first found out?" or "Why am I just hearing this from you _now?_"

But he didn't.

He merely scooted his chair back, ignored the rest of his food, and said, "My brother's alive. He called me last night."

Ellen gasped and took a step backward, allowing him to pass her and out the door. He didn't even look at the redhead. Tatsuya heard little clicks of footsteps behind him, and prayed Ellen wasn't following him.

"Tat-chan! Tat-chan!"

Oh. It was just Lisa.

"Tat-chan!" she caught up to his side as he brusquely made his way down the sidewalk. "That wasn't very nice. Did you know that lady?"

"Yeah," he breathed, trying to calm down. "I don't know. Something about her. I just..." He frowned. "She wanted to date my brother a while back. I just...I don't know...It didn't _feel_ right, I guess."

"That's no reason to dislike her."

"I know, I know. I guess...well...for someone who was a close friend of my brother's, where was _she_ when I first heard he had died? Hero was there...Maya was there...Not her."

But...still...Was that a good enough excuse?

Probably not.

"Tat-chan," Lisa smiled and sidled up next to Tatsuya. "You didn't even finish your food."

"Yeah. I lost my appetite."

She laughed. "Well...Let me walk you home. You can tell me about that lady all the way."

He tried to smile, but something was bothering him.

\/\/\/

Triumphant news of duume. Please don't flame me. More drama to come next chapter!

ML


	11. It's a Fine, Fine Day For a Reunion

**Disclaimer: **Yay! EP is finally coming out for PSP XD Don't own other stuff.

**A/N: **Ouch...nearly a year without an update. Really sorry guys...No, this story isn't dead. Just been really busy this past year. But happy New Year, and I'll try harder to get my arse in gear and update more.

Saber-chan – I appreciate your saying so :-D I'm glad you are enjoying the story; my hope is to always update faster, but real world stuff takes that hope away, sadly. But thank you for your kind review.

Cat-Lazer – Yeah, I can see what you're saying about disconnect. I feel that way about it, too, sometimes. I guess the thing is just that there are so many characters and it's hard to pay homage to all of them without creating multiple POVs. That and switching between present day and past Persona 1. Haha, but I'll try to make transitions a little smoother. Glad you're enjoying it :-D

Skye – Haha, I'm really happy to hear that. And Tatsuya's suspicions only keep rising. I hope that the following chapters live up to your expectations :-D

LinariteLavanya – Thank you so much! I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations :-D

Deathangel Acey – Hi, hi! I know it's been a while, but I hope you'll keep writing. From this point forward, you just might get your wish :-D

The Bard – Ah, I feel like I've let you down. I sincerely apologize for the lack of updates, but I do hope you'll continue to read. Especially since the answer to your questions will be answered at the end of this chapter. Thank you again for reading.

And onto the next chapter!

**\/\/\/**

**Dance to the Waltz**

**Chapter Eleven**

**It's a Fine, Fine Day for a Reunion**

**\/\/\/**

Out of their entire experience with Philemon, Nyarlathotep, and Guido, what had taken place at the hospital was what stuck with Hero the most. He didn't know why. Maybe it was because it had been when his Persona had first awoken. Maybe it was because Alfred had died. Maybe it was because Lunarvale went to hell after that.

Whatever it was, it was _that _day that haunted him the most.

He still remembered the excitement that fell upon everyone when they entered through the doors, the realization hitting them that they were going to visit Mary.

"There's still plenty of time before our own check up," Nate said. "Let's go see Mary first."

"Man, forget our check ups," Mark waved his hand in the rich boy's face. "Stop being so practical Nate. I'm fine, you're fine, let's just ignore what the teachers want and do what we want to do. Anyway, Mary is in room three-oh-two."

Hero and Yuki both stalled, not quite sure how to respond to Mark's accuracy.

"_Now_ who's being practical?" Nate sneered.

For the moment, Yuki ignored the rich boy's rudeness. "Mark, how did you know what room Mary was in?"

At first, Mark's mouth opened wide, his eyes glittering like a child's who was about to tell his mommy or daddy about the paper flower they had made at school. He must've realized how stupid that sounded to him mentally, and how even more stupid it was going to sound that he had been stalking Mary for weeks.

His mouth clamped shut and he reached up to pull his cap over his eyes. "S-Shut up! My buddies told me, that's how. A-Anyway, aren't we wasting time standing here? Let's talk to the receptionist."

Nate burst out laughing, and Yuki scratched at the invisible goatee on her pointy chin.

"Mark knew Mary's number," she mumbled to no one in particular. "This deserves a bit of looking into..."

"There's nothing to look _into,_ Yuki. Mark's _obviously_ been making a recreational activity out of coming to see Mary," the Nanjo heir said in between bouts of laughter.

His laughter intensified once Mark asked the receptionist to see Mary. A smile crossed her face and she patted Mark's hand.

"I know you. You're Mary's friend. Welcome back, Mark."

The other man shrank back, grabbing both sides of his hat to pull down around his face again. The nurse leaned back and began to tick off her fingers.

"Come to think of it, you came last week...and the week before that...the week before that...and...yup, the week before that one, too." Her smile broke apart to reveal two sets of pearly teeth. "You've been coming here a lot."

"Uh huh," Nate was wiping away tears from his eyes and reached up to clean his glasses, the shadow of laughter on his face. "You're pretty nice, Mark. I never knew that."

"Oh, stop it, Nate," Yuki lightly backhanded the other man on his shoulder, but she was struggling not to giggle, too.

It was then.

Around then.

During the commotion of Mark and his obvious kid crush on Mary that Hero backtracked to the door, lost in thought, and spotted Alfred wedged between the vending machine and wall. How had he come in without Nate or the others noticing? And how had they not noticed Hero and the old butler whispering in the back?

"You found me...Please do not tell Sir Nate that I am here. I'm so worried about him. Please...And do not let him cancel his check-up. If something was terribly wrong and he did not know it..."

What Hero...would've given...to tell Nate.

_He'd hate me if he ever knew. Alfred could've been saved._

"Don't worry, Alfred. Your secret is safe with me."

And no one knew when he walked back. No one suspected a thing.

Mark led them up to the third floor, less chatty than he had been upon arrival. Nate had finally calmed himself, and Yuki was staring all around the hallway. Hero remained in the back with nothing to say.

Mary was just finishing up with the doctor by the time the four entered through room three-oh-two. Her face brightened when she caught sight of Mark, who was waving a hand in order to catch her attention.

"Be sure to get some fresh air, Mary," the doctor told her, but it was evident that she was no longer paying attention. "It's an important part of rehabilitation, too."

The nurse next to the doctor nodded. "That's right, Mary. We'll go on a walk tomorrow."

Mark cleared his throat as loudly as he could to indicate his presence. The doctor glanced up and smiled.

"Oh, your friends have arrived. See? They care about you, too."

"We'll see you tomorrow," the nurse leaned forward to pat an oddly shaped bump in the blanket on top of the bed. Hero thought that it was probably Mary's foot.

The two turned to leave the room, and Mark waited until the door shut before he snorted and jumped to Mary's bedside. He immediately began scrutinizing the desk next to it, as though to make sure that everything was in order.

Mary, herself, was withered and nearly unresponsive. There were dark circles under her eyes and she reached out with a pale hand to touch Mark's hand. Hero had to pull his eyes away. Though she had already been in the hospital for over a year due to minor mental delusions, it got harder and harder to see her cooped up in bed like she was.

"Hero...and everybody..." her meek voice was barely understood by the navy haired youth until she turned her head to face them. "Thank you." Her hand squeezed tighter on Mark's, "Mark, especially, thank you."

Nate crossed his arms over his chest. "Why the special thanks to Mark?"

Dropping her hand and readjusting herself in the bed, Mary replied, "When Mark came to see me last time, I told him I'd like to see everybody...Isn't that right?"

"Yes it is," Yuki nodded. "T.J. said she'll come to visit you, too. She'll also bring your book back, then. 'Gate to Paradise,' I think it's called."

"Oh, she can keep it if she wants. I've read it so much that I've practically memorized it." Mary released a small giggle, to Hero's amazement. He was surprised she had the energy to laugh, much less communicate with them.

"Okay, I'll let her know if I see her before then." The other girl moved to sit on the edge of Mary's bed. "Well, how are you doing, Mary? We miss you at school."

"I miss being there, but I'm getting better. I'm seeing nice dreams now. I can't really remember what they're about, but I _do_ remember about dreaming about a very kind man. He reminded me of my father."

"Like that doctor?" Yuki jerked a thumb to the door that the doctor and the nurse had just exited from. "He seems to be a nice person."

Surprisingly enough, the smile disappeared from Mary's face and her gloomy eyes accentuated the circles around them.

"I don't like him," she confessed.

Defensive Mark came to the rescue, "Why? Did something happen? Should I fill out a complaint card?"

Nate snorted at Mark's awkward statement, but Mary kept as serious as she spoke.

"No, it was nothing like that. I just don't like doctors in general."

Mark relaxed and continued examining the bottles on her night stand. "Anyway...Umm..." He then jerked his head up and grinned. "Oh yeah, how's your mother? She works for Sebec, right?"

Mary recoiled back against the headrest of the best as far as she could and snatched her hand away from Mark's. Bringing her knees up to her chest, she hissed, "She is _not_ my mother. Anyone who loves her job more than me is _not my mother._ She doesn't _care_ about _me._"

No one said anything for quite some time, and Mary's head sunk down in between her knees, the blanket draped across her frail body. Mark stood up and took a step back so that he was rejoined with the group and his eyes hit the floor.

"Sorry I asked," he whispered.

Mary's head sprung back up upon his sad remark. Her eyes softened and she shook her head, "Oh, I'm so sorry, Mark. I didn't mean to go off on you like that. I know you didn't mean anything by it."

"N-No," Mark reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, Mary. I should've been more considerate of your—Mary? _Mary?_"

Hero watched the life fade from her eyes, and the sick girl doubled over without another word. Mark was immediately on top of her, pulling her back into a sitting position, and screaming.

"Mary? What's wrong, Mary? Are you okay? Mary!"

"I'm gonna call the doctor," Yuki rushed past Hero and flung the door open. Shouting out into the hall, it was only within moments that doctors had flooded the room, and pushed Hero and the others out into the bustling hallway.

Mark panicked, violently pacing and grabbing at his head. Yuki did her best to calm him, but he would hear none of it. Nate's arms were still crossed over his chest, but they were tight, and his knuckles had whitened. Hero's eyes drifted to the open door, and didn't leave, even after Mary had been strapped to a gurney and wheeled away.

\/\/\/

Hero jerked his attention back to the road, his hands still on the steering wheel. He hated thinking about that day, hated the nightmares, because he knew what came next. The big earthquake, the disappearing ICU room, the monsters...

"Alfred's death," he mumbled, silently grateful he was taking this two hour journey alone.

Down at the bottom of the hospital, back in the lobby, he remembered the heated argument between Mark, Nate, and him over rescuing one of the nurses. That's when Ellen...

His phone jittered in his pocket, startling him out of his thoughts.

Reaching over to push a button on his hands free portable car speaker, he called out, "Hello?"

A moment passed before a gruff voice came through the car speaker. Hero turned up the knob on the radio.

_"Stonefield?"_ Baofu paused. _"Sounds like you're in a subway. Where are you?"_

"I'm driving out to a private airport to pick up a friend of mine. Why?"

_"Because we have a little problem."_

Wasn't life just full of _those,_ lately?

Rolling his eyes, Hero dared to ask, "What's that?"

_"Little Suou bailed early this morning while I wasn't watching. He won't answer the phone for me, either, unsurprisingly. I imagine he's gone to find Amano. Would you be able to call and talk some sense into him?"_

Grinding his teeth together, the younger man shook his head. He was finding it harder to concentrate on the highway with all of these problems rocketing toward him.

"And then what? I'm not in Sumaru right now. I can't pick him up."

_"I can do it, but first you've gotta calm him down and find out where he is."_

"Man, what did you _say_ to him, Baofu? The point wasn't to scare him off."

There was a short pause on the other end of the phone, and Hero wondered if he hung up.

Instead, Baofu retorted with, _"Look, it's pretty damn hard to convince a teenager he didn't see something when __**clearly**__ he did. And if there's one thing I know about Tatsuya, it's that he ain't stupid. So you gonna call him or keep complaining?"_

"Don't get your cigarettes crunched up, Baofu, I'll call him, I'll call him." Hero reached into his pocket for his cell phone, not knowing the teenager's number right off hand.

_"I'll be waiting to hear back from you."_

"All right. Hey, before you go, there's gonna be a reunion of sorts tonight at Parabellum. Everyone's going to be there."

Baofu was silent for a moment.

_"...And? Why the hell would I want to go to a reunion?"_

"Well, Katsuya and Mark have become the guests of honor. Seeing as Maya _and_ Tatsuya are going to be there together most likely, I figured it would be wise if you came."

_"You told Amano that Suou is alive?"_

"No, but I can't keep it a secret forever. Just like you said, Tatsuya is missing. He's probably looking for her as we speak."

Hero could hear the man groan from the other end.

_"Yeah, sure, whatever. I'll be there. After all, Serizawa might be there, and I've got a bone to pick with her about snooping around my place. What time?"_

"About eight."

_"All right, I'll see you then."_

There was a click, and a sigh from Hero, who tried to balance his concentration between the road and finding Tatsuya's phone number in his contacts list. He grunted, and positioned the phone in the palm of his hand to try to and dial easier.

The windy roads were making it more difficult for him to steer properly and he cursed how far away the private airport was. While Alana was usually performing in Paris, he had been lucky her last shoot was in Tokyo. She wasn't pleased about his last minute invitation to Sumaru's reunion party, but her demeanor was resilient upon the mentioning of Mark, who was alive after all.

"Besides," he had told her, "I think it's about time you came out here. I need your help after all."

_This is...getting out of control..._

It was a pleasant turnaround that Saeki had a private plane he could use to take Alana to Sumaru with, but that meant that the dear producer and agent would be coming along for the ride.

Hero hadn't seen either Alana or Saeki in a couple of months now, not since their disagreement about him moving to Sumaru.

He finally adjusted the phone in a way that he could dial Tatsuya's number and have it come through his speakers. The next stretch of highway was straight for the moment, just enough time for him to shove his phone back into his pocket as the ringer blared through the speaker.

\/\/\/

_"In that case, something must be blocking my call."_

_ But what could that be?_

_ "No. It was __**him.**__"_

_ Him? Who's "him?"_

_ "You're familiar with Nyarlathotep?"_

_ Of course I am. It's because of him that...that I..._

_ "I see. So you are a part of __**those**__ Persona Users. I'm honored to have met you."_

_ Because you're not Philemon, are you?_

_ "No. Philemon and I are completely different."_

_ I know you are. You put me through these ridiculous tests and expect me to know what they mean._

_ "These nightmares...you can't live without them."_

_ Well, what do you expect when you just __**throw**__ Maya at my feet? And not even just Maya, but Maya a few minutes past death where I can't even do anything about it!_

_ "I understand that this may have been a bit too much."_

_ No, __**you're**__ a bit too much. Just...Just leave me alone. Coming here was a bad idea. I want to go home. Tatsuya...Maya..._

"Hey, man, wake up," someone was pushing on his arm, and not very nicely about it. Eyes fluttered open, and an African man came into view. He appeared concerned, and his lips were slightly parted.

"S-Sorry," Katsuya adjusted his glasses and sat up in his seat. "Did I doze off already?"

"Yeah, man, and we haven't even taken off yet. Then you go and start having nightmares on me. Shouting something about 'Maya' and 'Philemon' and stuff. Dude, you can't be saying that kind of shit here, you're gonna expose us."

A bowling ball dropping inside of his chest, Katsuya quickly straightened his back and glanced around at all of the passengers around him on the airplane. They were staring at him, some more harshly than others. He quickly ducked back down into his seat.

"D-Did I really say all of that stuff?" the detective whispered.

Mark nodded. "We got a four hour plane flight into Tokyo, then an hour overlay, and we'll probably be settling into Sumaru around seven or so. Then it's an hour drive into the city. Chris said he'll come pick us up."

Katsuya's brow lifted in a quizzical manner. "Kido? Really?" He glanced down at the watch on his wrist. It was just a little after ten now, and with the clock adjustment, it was probably around noon in Sumaru.

"Yeah, Kido. I told you that before. Damn..." Mark relaxed back into his seat and laughed. "I'm surprised you know him, and Ellen, and Nate. Man, I hated that guy. You know him and I never got along, even in high school. Figures he'd still be the rich snob I always took him for. I tell ya, I—"

Somewhere in the middle of Mark's rant was when Katsuya's mind began to drift, and his eyes wandered over to the window. He never knew why he liked the window seat so much, it just made him calmer, he supposed.

_Who's Maya's new boyfriend? Why didn't she tell me about him before I left Sumaru?_

He felt his fingers curl around the armrest of the chair and mentally scolded himself.

_What business is it of yours, Suou? Is it any different than if she had decided to date Tatsuya instead?_

He paused, his breathing a little heavier now.

_To be truthfully honest, I don't know which would destroy me more._

Whatever the case, he would be back in town that night. He both dreaded and welcomed it.

\/\/\/

Hero was gone before she had woken up, and left no notice of when he would be back. Her now dry, and stained, clothes were placed on the arm rest of the couch, and her bag next to it. Hero had been gracious enough to pack some of her clothes from her apartment, and she pulled out gray, stretchy pants, and a baggy white shirt with the words, "Rocker 99'" on it. They were the most casual thing she had worn in a while, but they would have to do. Maya felt that spending the day in Hero's house would prove to be too boring, and she was far too anxious to sit around and do nothing. There was the matter of Tatsuya and how he was doing, but Maya had no recollection of where she had last placed her cell phone. She was certain that Hero had a good idea, but hadn't memorized his number to be able to call him.

The landline was down in the front room next to the couch she had spent the night on, but, again, without having remembered the digits, she couldn't make any phone calls. That included Baofu's, as well. Silly as it seemed, now that she was without it, that little phone became pretty darn important after all.

And Ulala.

What was she going to do about that?

Staring at Hero's grandfather clock, she realized that it was a little after noon.

_Ulala should be at GOLD Gym right about now if I know her schedule._

Without another thought to hold her back, Maya hastened her way to Narumi's bus station and waited. Route Twelve went to Yumezaki Ward and was due down the road in several minutes. She found herself fidgeting, and biting back the cuticles on her fingers.

_What am I going to say to Ulala when I see her? She didn't even tell me what was wrong. Why would she up and move out all of a sudden like that?_

Thoughts swirled around Maya's head, and she took notice of each one. Baofu was a big part of it, which surprised her that she was working with him instead of Ulala. Actually, it was surprising she was working with him at _all._ He had been the rift in their friendship for a long while, so she couldn't blame her redheaded friend for getting the wrong idea when she saw them together in Hero's car.

_I forgot to text her back, too. That probably didn't help matters any._

And Hero. Of course _he'd_ be a problem. He was kind, sweet, considerate, and funny—all of the things Baofu was not. And while Maya didn't consider him boyfriend material, (between Katsuya and Tatsuya, she was _more_ than beside herself with relationship issues) Ulala wouldn't be able to look past it. In all the years Maya had known her, she never could.

_That's why she called the Joker on me in the first place. Oh, Ulala..._

Hero had helped her with her personal bad habits, taught her how to present her work better, and pulled her through Katsuya's death. Who could ask for a better friend?

Maya shook her head and put her face in her hand.

"This is getting out of control, Ulala. We need to figure this out."

A roaring engine jerked her out of her thoughts and she glanced up. She was all alone on the street corner, and a shadow crept over her as the transit bus slowed beside the curb. The screeching from the brakes caused Maya to protect her ears with her hands, and she closed her eyes to prevent the exhaust from getting in them. After a moment of waiting, the bus gave a loud sigh from the engine and all that could be heard was the hum from the running motor.

Maya climbed on board, paid the two dollars for fare, and took a seat furthest in the back. The travel would take close to forty-five minutes from one ward to the other, especially with having to stop along the way to pick up other passengers. She spent the duration of the time processing different conversation scenarios through her mind, what she would say, the possibilities of how they would play out, and change them if she thought it necessary.

_Ulala, I'm sorry. I don't understand why you're upset but...No, that's no good. Ulala, I apologize for not replying to your text the other day. I wasn't ignoring you, it's just...No, I can't tell her what Baofu, Hero and I are up to. I promised._

Maya sighed and bent over, her bag tucked into her lap.

"What am I going to do?" she whispered.

Would this be the end of their friendship? After nearly a decade of knowing each other, would _this_ be what finally severed ties?

The bus stopped for the umpteenth time, which came as no shock to Maya after a while. It was only until, _"Yumezaki Ward, GOLD Gym,"_ came over the loud speaker that the raven-haired woman finally raised her head. She grabbed up her bag and slowly made her way up front behind six other people. Once she was able to step off the bus, she slung the strap of her bag over her shoulder and strode toward the large building.

She still wasn't sure what she was going to say to the other woman, and a lump had already formed at the base of her throat. It wasn't new for Ulala to make a scene in front of others, but she hoped that it wouldn't happen today. Maya was so preoccupied with what she was going to say to her friend, she failed to notice the shadows next to her until something snatched the side of her bag.

Maya quickly spun around, pulling her bag back to her chest.

"She's lively," the first man chortled.

The reporter hesitantly glanced up. The man who had tried to grab her bag stood as round as a tree trunk. His head was shaved, but glittered with water, or sweat. He had probably just come from the gym, given his large frame. He flexed his pecs for good measure. A second man stepped in from behind and flicked the bottom part of his nose with his thumb. He stood almost as tall as his companion, his hair tied back into a long ponytail.

"I don't think you'll be needing anything from in there," the second man gestured to the gym. "Only studs like us can attend GOLD."

Maya clung to her bag, waiting to see what would happen next.

The first man waddled up to her, casting a shadow over her tiny frame. She scrunched up her body, bringing her shoulders up to her ears.

Maya bit down on her lip.

_What does he think he's doing? Should I use my Persona on him?_

Before she could make any decision, the man had already swiped his arm across her body, knocking the bag from her hand. She yelped, and his fingers curled around her right upper arm.

"What are you _doing?_" Maya snarled, doing her best to fight back against his weight. She thrashed her arm, yanked back, and twisted within his grip.

"She's a pretty one, Seiji," the man casually glanced back at his friend who remained on the sidelines. "Wanna take her behind the storage building?"

The word, "_Artemis,_" was on the edge of Maya's tongue, but the first man who had apprehended her, had already bent down and tossed her across one shoulder.

"_Let me go!_" Maya beat her tiny fists against his back, and kicked her legs into the air. "I'm _warning_ you..."

She felt his body reverberate from his chuckles, and he spun around in circles several times.

"Look at that, Seiji. She's giving me orders. Ain't that adorable?"

"About as adorable as this..."

Maya turned her head just in time to witness a brown case connect with the side of her assailant's face. He tumbled to the ground, taking Maya along with him. She braced herself for the fall, which was as unpleasant as she expected, and the bodybuilder's shoulder dug into her pelvis. Maya ignored the pain the best she could for the moment and glanced up.

The brown case smashed into Seiji's stomach, and the other bodybuilder staggered backward. Stepping into Maya's peripheral view was a tall boy dressed all in blue—a uniform she hadn't seen in quite some time.

"Yo, bro, you wanna go around picking on women like that? Hell, if I let you go, it would end up being Miyabi next, so you see what I'm getting at, right? I'm afraid I'm gonna have ta trounce ya."

Eikichi Mishina flipped his hands around, interlocked his fingers, and a resounding crack filled the air. He reached down and picked up a large, brown guitar case.

The same one from the "Other Side."

Swinging the case by the neck like a baseball bat, Eikichi caught Seiji in the back of the neck. The bodybuilder tumbled to the ground before the scrawny teen. If Maya hadn't already known Eikichi to be a Persona User, the situation would've been more baffling. David and Goliath had nothing on the Gas Chamber lead singer and the crumpled tree trunk of a man on the ground.

The teen pivoted and shifted his attention to the dazed man crushing Maya.

"Your turn, pal."

The man must've regained his senses, because he was reacting with jerking movements. He was able to pull himself away just as Eikichi pulled the guitar case back behind his head and brought it down to the ground as though it were an axe. The ground reverberated from the massive crash, and the man lay sprawled out, unmoving.

Eikichi chuckled and swung the guitar case by its neck over his shoulder. Turning to Maya, he extended a hand.

"Yo, you all right?"

Maybe it was the sudden commotion, or maybe it was seeing her old friend, but Maya couldn't find the strength to speak, nor move. She sat there, gaping, and barely noticed the still stinging pain in her side from where the bodybuilder had crushed her. The teenager's smile faded, and he waved a hand in her face.

"Is that a no?" he leaned down. "Uh..."

"_Maya!_"

Someone else broke her trance, and it caused Eikichi to break his gaze from her and turn to the newcomers. The scowl on his face made Maya recoil, and she barely leaned forward to see two black forms running toward them. One was a brown head, while the other had a blonde bob bouncing back and forth.

For the second time in two minutes, the same clenching feeling returned to Maya's chest.

_Tatsuya...and he's with Lisa._

Her eyesight began to blur and she lowered her head.

_No, no, please don't start crying here. I can't let Tatsuya think something is wrong. But, to have us all here again...together..._

"Maya, are you all right?" Tatsuya was at her side, checking her over, and shaking her shoulders. "What happened?"

The older woman heard a small gasp escape from Lisa, and she wondered if she hadn't seen the two unconscious bodybuilders.

"Oh...I didn't realize that you and Suou knew each other," Eikichi sounded disappointed, but Maya's attention was still on the ground, so she wasn't quite sure. She was attempting to banish the wall of tears threatening to spill over from her eyes.

"What did you _do_ to her?" Lisa stomped her little feet, and shuffled them to face Eikichi.

Knowing that she had to intervene, Maya quickly wiped a sleeve across her eyes and struggled to stand, despite Tatsuya leaning on her. The boy adjusted his weight to help her to her feet.

"No, it's not like that," the reporter gestured to the assailants on the ground. "Eikichi was trying to help me."

A small pause passed between them.

"You know him?" Tatsuya blinked.

"You know my name?" Eikichi chimed nearly in unison to Tatsuya's voice.

_Crap,_ she bit down on her lips. _I forgot that Tatsuya and Eikichi didn't initially get along on the "Other Side." Now what am I gonna do? I wasn't supposed to know Eikichi..._

"I...uh..." Maya closed her eyes. "I've heard your band..."

She hoped he wouldn't pry on petty details. "Eikichi" wasn't the stage name he went by in Gas Chamber; it was "Michele."

But narcissism blinded facts and saved Maya. She opened her eyes and a rather large grin was spread from cheek to cheek. He flushed a little and looked away.

"I can't believe a hot babe like you would know my humble band. I mean, we _are_ just starting, but we've already got a fan club going. I'm sure—"

"Save it," Tatsuya spat, never quite removing himself from Maya's shoulders. "You were probably the one that got her into this mess in the first place."

"Stop it, Tatsuya," the older woman turned on him. Even though they didn't know each other, she hated to see old friends fight. If only they _knew_ how much their friendship had meant to one another long ago...

Her icy words startled the teen, and his hands slowly fell away from her shoulders. Maya caught a hint of sadness in Lisa's eyes.

"But...Maya..." Tatsuya couldn't finish.

The reporter stepped away from them, feeling herself shaking a bit.

_I must not be over the shock of seeing these two again. I wonder if it's a sign..._

"He...He was only trying to help." She drew in a breath and then exhaled. "These men on the ground attacked me and he came to my aide. Please understand, it was nothing more than that."

"Ouch," Eikichi winced. "Man, when you put it like _that..._"

His joking prompted a giggle from Maya and it was then that she realized just how _much_ she missed these guys.

Still...

They could never remember...

_Ever..._

"Anyway, I'll take your safety as thanks enough," the Kasugayama student grinned, but then flashed a glare at the two Seven students. "I'm off to band practice." Waving back at Maya, he added, "Maybe we'll see each other again."

He took off in one direction, his guitar case still strung out across his back. It tapped against his hip as he walked, and the reporter sighed.

"I...I guess I should be getting going, too," Lisa said, though she wouldn't meet either of their eyes. "See you later...Tat-chan."

"Lisa, wait—"

That was Maya's voice. She shouldn't have said anything.

She wasn't supposed to know Lisa, either.

But Lisa had already dashed away, passing Eikichi along the way, and was across the street in a matter of moments.

The reporter lowered the hand she had used to reach out the girl—she hadn't even realized she had done so—and withdrew herself emotionally.

_This is...so hard._

Tatsuya was watching after the blonde girl, too, but he was able to compose himself quicker than Maya. Turning to the older woman, he asked, "Are you all right?"

"Yes," she said with a sigh.

"What were you doing out here? I've been trying to call you all morning. What happened last night? Who _was_ that guy?"

Maya jolted and stared at Tatsuya. She hadn't planned for him to bombard her with so many questions right up front, but Maya had also forgotten that he wasn't aware of his Persona, and so would have no clue as to what had happened the night before.

Hero had also warned her that the teen's Persona was on the brink of reawakening, which was a terrible sign, and one that the reporter wasn't ready to confront if the moment presented itself.

"I..." she shook her head. "I don't know who he was, really. I don't remember much of anything. I was knocked out before seeing much."

It was true.

...It was _mostly_ true.

"Are _you _all right?" she asked, although her eyes were unable to meet his.

Maya heard him shuffle his feet, and then sigh.

"I guess. I was just...hoping you had some answers for me. I haven't seen Hero, and Baofu sure didn't."

The reporter frowned.

_No. He __**wouldn't.**__ He never __**does.**_

"I've been trying to get a hold of you all morning," he continued. "I wanted to surprise you, and Hero, too."

Curiosity replaced bitterness, and she found herself able to stare at Tatsuya this time.

Surprise? That was a rarity. The Tatsuya she knew was of so little words, and so little emotion.

"What is it?"

And the Tatsuya she knew never smiled. But _this_ one did.

"Katsuya..." he drew the name out nice and slow. "He's alive."

Maya staggered back, and her hands flew to her mouth. A lump caught in her throat, and, this time, she didn't bother to dam up the explosion of tears that welled up in her eyes.

\/\/\/

Ellen wasn't quite as talkative after Tatsuya stormed out of Peace Diner, and Ulala watched her carefully stir a fry in the plastic cup of ketchup they both were sharing.

"You okay?" the redhead asked after quite sometime. "You haven't been the same since Tatsuya walked out of here."

The model finally showed some sign of life, even if it was only in the pitiful form of a sigh.

"I know he doesn't like me," she whispered.

"Who?" Ulala blinked. "Tatsuya?"

Ellen nodded. "He met me on mine and Katsuya's first date. It was the way he looked at me when I walked into their apartment that I knew that. It wasn't like the Tatsuya from the 'Other Side,' who fought together with us against Guido, and Tatsuzou...It was entirely different."

"Wait, _what?_" Ulala couldn't help herself from slapping her palms against the top of the table. It shook and fries spilled out of the bag. "Your..._date?_ You and Big Suou were _dating?_"

"Ha, ha," Ellen laughed, dryly. "Hardly. He never saw me that way. But I guess we should stop talking about this now. It doesn't exactly matter now that Katsuya is no longer with us."

The boxer cringed, not quite sure where to take the conversation next. She wanted to know more about Ellen and Katsuya, but the blunt way she ended it by bringing up the detective's death was enough to silence Ulala.

_That was a little uncalled for._

"So, what's our next plan for the IC Case?" the model eventually pulled her swimming fry from the ketchup and placed it into her mouth. "You told us last night that it's something that has been going on for quite a while now."

"Ah, yes." Startled by the abrupt subject change, the boxer leaned down to unzip her duffel bag. The folder was sitting nicely on top. "Here it is..." she snatched it and put it on top of the table.

"Can I read it?" Ellen asked, wiping her dainty fingers on a napkin.

"Of course."

Thumbing through the first few pages, the model stopped on one page in particular—a note made about Kazuya Ogasawara. Ulala waited a few minutes, distracting herself with some more fries from the bag, and decorating them with the red sauce in the plastic cup. She loved ketchup.

But, at the moment, she didn't feel much up to eating.

Even her earlier workout had been less than motivated, and she almost skipped it altogether. If it wasn't for Ellen's constant pushing with the IC Case, Ulala would've probably stayed in Mina's guest bed all day. Of course, then Mina would want to know who the two strangers in her apartment were. And it was a tiny place. The woman would notice almost immediately that something was amiss.

There was all of Maya, Baofu, and now Hero. What were they planning? Why had they excluded her—especially Maya, of all people? It was just...so unlike her. But here Ulala was, best friendless, and just as confused. Hero, she didn't really know him. Bao, ah, he was an asshole anyway. But Maya? No, not _Ma-ya._ Never.

And now Katsuya...her poor friend...But what struck the boxer the mostwas Ellen's confession to having once liked the man. Not that Ulala could be _that_ surprised. Ellen was gorgeous, and Katsuya had been a hunk himself. If Katsuya hadn't been so awkward, and if Ulala hadn't already wanted Maya to settle down with him first, Ellen and the detective would've been more than a beautiful couple.

"This..." the model's brow furrowed together. "This doesn't make..." she turned the page, "..._any_ sense..."

"Yeah," Ulala nodded. "Almost ninety murders, according to Bao's notes. I read that they were originally thought to have been a part of the Joker spree killings, but it couldn't be possible since the killings spanned all across Asia and Europe. It's also been going on for the past four years, which is way longer than the Joker killings." She ended on a smile. Ellen wasn't looking at her.

"You don't have Baofu's _actual_ notes?" she asked after a moment, but her nose was still in the folder.

"Um..." Ulala looked away. "I didn't want him to know that I had been snooping. I just memorized key points and went searching in old library articles. But I remembered Kazuya's name. That's why I wrote it down along with that other stuff you're seeing there."

"Shoot...I'd actually like to see what he has written..." Ellen fell quiet after a moment.

Ulala didn't want her new partner in crime to feel discouraged. Afraid that she would decide to disband from the investigation, the boxer smiled and said, "Well, we can find better notes. I mean, we're not entirely helpless. It's not like Bao knows anything more than the rest of us. That's why it's referred to as an _unbreakable_ case."

The model didn't smile, and she didn't speak.

The redhead grimaced.

A jitter from Ellen's purse disturbed the silence, and she set the folder down to reach into it. Withdrawing a white phone with beads attached from a string at the top, the younger woman hit a button and placed the device to her ear.

"This is Kirishima." Ulala watched her intensely, trying to peg who it might be on the other end. "What? ...No..." The girl's voice raised, "_No!_"

"What?" the boxer leaned forward.

Ellen used a hand to cover her eyes, and she sniffled.

"...Is it...really true?" she asked, meekly.

Ulala wished she knew what was going on.

Then a smile cracked at Ellen's face, and she dropped her hand, although some tears had appeared after. The boxer was amazed with her waterproof mascara and the fact that it hadn't streaked. But why was the girl crying? She was smiling, though.

Ulala was confused.

"Oh...we'll be there," Ellen sniffled, then dabbed at her eyes with the tip of her thumb. "I can't wait to see them again."

The boxer hated to wait in suspense, and whoever could make Ellen cry that easily had to be someone important.

"...Katsuya..." the model murmured.

\/\/\/

"What were you _thinking_ going out by yourselves?" Hero shook Maya by the shoulders, honestly infuriated. His attention turned to Tatsuya, "And _you..._"

The teen shrugged. "You didn't _really_ expect me to stay at that creeper's house, did you? And what the hell are you two doing associating yourselves with _him?_"

Maya smiled. Hero rolled his eyes.

"Just...sit down," he gestured to the couch in the middle of his living room. "I don't feel like arguing."

Maya positioned herself in front of a chair across from the couch, to which Hero gave her a disapproving stare. That was _his_ favorite chair, she guessed.

She ignored his frown and asked, "Where were you this afternoon? When I woke, you were gone."

"Oh..." he took a seat on the couch across from Maya. Tatsuya sat next to him. "I was at the airport."

Her eyebrows lifted. "Picking up a 'friend?'"

He wasn't sharing her jocular mood. "Yes, I was. And when I returned, you were nowhere to be found. Luckily, you two didn't show up long after we had. Where were you?"

"I was escaping from that megalomaniac, Baofu," Tatsuya cut in. "I couldn't get a hold of either of you all morning."

Hero pointed at him, "I _called_ your phone on my way to the airport. Baofu told me you scurried off."

Tatsuya paused for a moment and then fished out his phone. Flipping the lid open, he nodded and chewed on one side of his lip.

"Oh...so you did. My phone was on vibrate."

Hero rolled his eyes. "That doesn't exactly _help_ matters now, does it?"

The teen looked to Maya, "He called after I found you at GOLD Gym. I haven't checked my phone since then."

"Ah..." Maya folded her arms and leaned back in the chair.

Something was wrong with Hero, although she couldn't quite describe what it was. Normally he was cheerful and kind, but today he was apprehensive and curt.

Then she inwardly smiled.

_I know what will make him happy..._

"Hero," her inward grin managed to materialize onto her face. "I have some good news." She waited until she had his attention, and then announced, "Katsuya...He's alive."

He struggled to provide a weak smile.

Maya's own smile faded.

"Yeah, I...I caught wind of that right before you guys came in. I was gonna tell you, and—"

"Hero, are you agitating everyone again?"

A fourth voice that went unfamiliar to Maya broke through the conversation, and a tall blonde woman took long strides into the room until she was standing in the space that divided Maya and Hero from each other. Her hair was pulled back into a neat bun, and mascara and lipstick accented the features on her face. A black skirt and halter top hugged her body, and even the red designer jacket did nothing to hide her curves. She placed her hands on her hips and delivered a glare to Hero. Maya was sure she had never seen this woman before, but the strong sense inside of her told the reporter that she was a Persona User.

"Alana..." the navy haired youth shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever are you talking about?"

"You know _damn well _what I'm talking about." She accompanied her words with a wagging finger. "How come you're not happier that Mark and their friend are alive? You've been acting weird all day."

"It's not that I'm not happy they're all right. It's just—"

The blonde cut him off and whirled around to Maya and extended a hand. "I'm Alana Yuka. A pleasure to meet you."

"Ah..." Maya absentmindedly took the girl's hand and pumped it several times. "A pleasure."

"I went to Lunarvale with Hero," Alana explained. "I'm flying in for the reunion."

"Reunion?" the raven haired woman furrowed her brows and looked to Hero for answers.

"I haven't had the opportunity to explain," he answered her stare. "Nate told me first that they had called to check in and Alana flew in to meet them. It's tonight at Parabellum. It'd be great if you all could come."

_But he said that he just found out they were alive. How could he have known after the fact when Alana had arrived for their reunion?_

"But, I don't understand. If—" Maya's mouth opened to protest, but a stern look from Hero warned her that this next question might be better to ask at a different time.

She made note of it for later.

"My brother is going to be there?" Tatsuya smiled. "I'd like to go, if that's all right."

"Of course," Alana agreed.

Hero tossed her a stare.

Maya bit down on her lip.

_I can tell something is bothering him. He is very uptight, and it's not like him. And why would he lie about why Alana is __**really**__ here? Is it for Tatsuya? Or is she his girlfriend that he's never mentioned? If that's the case, how long has he known that Katsuya was alive? Did he hide it from me?_

Her eyes fell to the floor.

_I will be asking him about all of this later._

A gong sprung her from her thoughts, and her eyes shot up to the grandfather clock across the room.

It had struck seven.

_My, is it that late already? I didn't realize it took so long getting back here. Tatsuya and I must've been talking for quite some time..._

Indeed...it had taken a while for Maya to recover from the shock of learning that Katsuya was alive and well. She wanted to express her complete happiness, yet, on the other hand, not so much. She wanted to appear normal to Tatsuya, and not provoke any thoughts from the young man. After all, she was closer to Katsuya than he knew, having both saved the world together. _That_ was a big deal.

She remembered pacing back and forth, the palms of her hands glued to the sides of her head, ruffling her black hair, and exhaling and inhaling exaggeratedly. Maya had so many questions for the detective, but reserved a bit of anger as well. She wasn't quite sure why she was angry, but she was certain a reason would come to her.

_He didn't tell us he volunteered to go to Lunarvale. There, that's an excuse._

Maybe not a very good one, but she would work to make sure it became a relevant problem.

Either way, he was alive.

Tatsuya had been trying to hide his excitement over the issue, but there was also the dilemma of what had occurred the night before. Maya _still_ wasn't sure how she would get out of trying to explain it. Frankly, she didn't want to.

How could she explain what she didn't know herself? Of course, it all related to being a Persona User, but that was nothing that he knew of either, nor would he _ever_ know were it up to her. In a way, he seemed much happier not knowing, regardless of the fact that it would be the end of civilization if he _did_ discover the "Other Side."

But...Tatsuya seemed to..._smile_ more, Maya couldn't explain it. Just in the time that she and Tatsuya were together with Hero...The navy haired boy seemed to know how to make them _both_ smile. Maybe that was why she didn't want to walk back right away to Hero's place. The distance from Yumezaki to Narumi was long, but one she enjoyed sharing with the teen.

Eventually, as they talked on the subjects from Tatsuya, to school, and to his hobbies, a glow overcame him that only Maya saw herself seeing. And she felt special for being given that chance.

The chance to be near him, to talk to him without anyone else around, and for being able to understand him—_all_ sides of him, from "This Side," to the "Other Side."

"I should get going." Hero removed himself from the couch and looked to Alana, "The party starts at eight. Saeki said he was gonna stay in the hotel for tonight, though. Can you head there with Maya and Tatsuya?"

She folded her arms grumpily. "Leaving me behind?"

Hero chuckled, although it had been as dry as his attitude for the past half hour.

"I want you to get to know them. They're great friends of mine. Besides, Nate asked if I would come early. I'll give you the scoop on it later."

"We're not _that_ terrible," Maya joked, trying to make the other woman feel more comfortable.

Alana shared her smile. "Ha, ha, I know that. Any friends of Hero's _have_ to be amazing. It's the only people he'll tolerate."

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Except for me, right? They're going to be mad I haven't kept in touch."

"Oh, of _course_ they will," she slapped his shoulder playfully. "But you deserve it, and they still love you."

Hero tried to smile, but it didn't work as well. "Okay, I'm heading out. Maya, do you guys mind taking the bus to Parabellum?"

"Could be worse." She placed her hands in her lap. "See you there in an hour."

\/\/\/

Nate Nanjo waited outside of Parabellum for what seemed like hours. He had come extra early, and not to oversee the employees setting up for the reunion inside of their bar, although they were doing quite a fantastical job on their own. The rich boy was nervous, and had been so all day. Nate was pleased that his friends were alive and couldn't wait to see them again, especially Mark, whom he hadn't seen in many years...

...but that didn't attribute to _all_ of his anxiety.

Certain things rendered themselves peculiar, and circled mostly around one of his best friends—Hero.

How had the man come to know Maya and Tatsuya? Did this mean he knew of what had happened four months ago? Did he know not to speak of certain things to Tatsuya? And not just that but, why had he come back at all? After being in seclusion all of this time?

Four years and he _now_ found it appropriate to come back? Why?

"Hey..."

Nate jolted back and glanced up from his spot against the brick wall. He hadn't even heard the footsteps coming, yet here the man was, as though his thoughts had summoned him here. Hero swept a hand across his bangs, pulling them back, and he offered a smile up to the other.

"I parked in the back," Hero announced. "Why did you want me to come early?"

The rich man swallowed and concentrated. Normally, he had no problem formulating words. In fact, back in high school, he had won first prize in a heated debate against a rival school. He still had the plaque somewhere at home, too. But this wasn't high school, and it wasn't a debate on the economic relations between Japan and the rest of the world. This was one of his best friends, and Nate knew he had to choose his questions carefully.

"I need to know..." he began slowly, "...why _did_ you come back?"

Hero stared at him, taken aback at first—Nate could see it in his eyes. But, as he always was able to, the navy haired youth regained himself and pushed out a smile.

"For the reunion, of course."

"No. _Before_ that."

Hero didn't answer immediately. He glanced up and down the street, and then turned to peer into the window of Parabellum. The bartender, hostess, and several employees were hard at work preparing the party. They had cleared all of the other patrons out over an hour ago.

Then he turned back.

"Why do you want to know?"

Nate's brows lifted. Did he really just _ask_ that? After all of this time, wouldn't _any_ of their old friends want to know?

"Because you've been missing for four years. No one has had any _real_ contact with you. And then you come to Sumaru of all places. You meet with Ms. Amano, and Tatsuya, just months after the enormous crisis which befell our world. And then all of this happens with Mark and Detective Suou. It just seems too perfect to be coincidental."

Hero's back straightened and he crossed his arms.

Then he smiled.

"Good observation. I guess I underestimated that about you. The truth is, Nate, that yes, there _is _something going on. I can't tell you here out in the open, but it's the reason why I came here. Maya and Tatsuya aren't the only ones I've come into contact with. I'm sure you know Baofu. You'd _have_ to what with what happened four months ago. They told me all about it."

Nate flinched and his eyes hit the pavement.

_Baofu too? Well, at least he's not denying that something is up. I wonder what it could be..._

"Oh..." The Nanjo heir glanced up at Hero, whose gaze was down the street. "I see Baofu's car coming, speaking of which. We'll pick this conversation up later."

"Already?" Nate glanced at his watch, agitated. This was _precisely _why he had asked the other man to come early—to avoid any interruptions. Alas, at least there was the promise of next time.

\/\/\/

Maya, Tatsuya, and Alana arrived earlier than Hero had asked, but she was excited to see Katsuya and the others again that she could barely contain herself. She bounded off the bus before everyone else, and hustled down the street, despite her companions' calls to slow down. The raven haired woman could see Parabellum in the distance, accompanied by a group of people. A smile inattentively crossed her lips, and she broke into a sprint to greet everyone outside.

"Hi!" she waved her arms in the air, garnering their attention.

Tatsuya and Alana's shouts were lost in the distance she had put between them.

Tammy was the first person Maya recognized, wearing a long, black dress and holding hands with a man that the reporter had never met. His bowl-cut hairstyle and thick rimmed glasses accented his round face, and the gray suit he was sporting. Tammy turned upon Maya's yelling and waved back.

They embraced and laughed.

"Maya, it's so good to see you," Tammy patted her on the back and Maya pulled away gently.

"You look so beautiful," she giggled before gesturing to her own get up from earlier—stretchy pants and a white, "Rocker 99'" shirt. "I look like I just got back from the gym."

"Who cares?" Tammy waved a hand at her. "It still is just wonderful to see you. It's been a while, hasn't it? You guys haven't had to come around since all of that disaster was put to rest."

"True," Maya laughed. "True."

"Oh," Tammy stepped aside and pulled the man she was with next to her. "This is my boyfriend, Tadashi Satomi."

"But _Tad_ is just fine," he yanked himself from her grasp. "Stop making me sound like an ambassador, Tammy."

"I'm _not,_" her eyes narrowed. "I just wanted to introduce you to a friend of mine."

"Well, I can introduce _myself_ without being tugged along like a dog on a leash."

Maya took a step back. "It's...very nice to meet you," but she was edging away to the next set of people.

The couple hadn't seemed to notice her departure; they were far too engaged in their oncoming argument. The reporter turned and saw Hero and Baofu. Tatsuya and Alana had caught up by this time, and Alana had received the vast amount of attention from the group. Hero was laughing and saying something to Baofu, but Maya couldn't hear what it was over the shouting.

"Alana!" Nate, who had been standing next to Hero, charged forward and stood in front of the girl. "I wasn't aware you were coming. You never returned my call."

"I can't believe it," Brad had swarmed around her, too. "I haven't seen you in _years._ You were such a brat back then."

"Thanks, _Brad,_" her eyes transformed into narrow slits.

"Well, you can't blame us for saying so," Tammy, who had, at some point, removed herself from the argument with Tad to greet Alana. "What are you up to now? Nate says you've taken up acting."

"Acting?" Tad cut in. "No way, not the Alana _we_ know..."

"Stop _picking_ on me," she pouted, her cheeks puffing out and budding red. "I only just _got_ here and I see I'm not going to have a very fun time."

"Chunky's inside," Yuki, who had joined in (Maya hadn't seen her upon first arriving, surprisingly enough), was trying hard to keep a straight face. "I'm sure he'd like to see you. Shall I go and get him?"

"I can see him _myself,_" Alana stamped a foot.

"That's right," Brad pulled on an imaginary goatee. "He fancied you a lot back then, didn't he? He'll be happy to see you."

"Why isn't _Hero_ getting attention like this?" she shot an angry finger in his direction. Hero held his hands up in defense. "He's been out of touch even longer than _I_ have."

"You missed it," Yuki chuckled. "I put him in a headlock."  
Hero nodded. "She did. The back of my neck still hurts. Brad joined in and gave me a nasty head rub with his knuckles."

"Serves you right," Yuki glared at him. "You've ignored us long enough. We had to punish you _somehow._ It'll be worse when Mary and Ellen see you. They probably won't forgive you."

Hero flinched, but quickly replaced it with a trembling smile.

"No...they probably won't."

"How did you find out about the reunion anyway?" Tammy cut in.

"Oh...Alana...Nate...around." The navy haired youth finished with a nervous laugh. "You know."

The Nanjo heir adjusted his glasses. "No, we _don't_ know, really. Word has it that you've become acquainted with _other_ friends before coming to pay respect to your old ones."

"I think I liked it better when Alana was getting harassed instead of me."

"_Hey!_" the blonde stamped her foot again. "In a minute, I'll be going home."

"Don't be like _that,_" Yuki reached over and pulled her into a tight hug. "We've missed both of you. It hasn't been the same since the old gang moved on. That's part of the reason we're doing this reunion."

Maya smiled and went to go stand in between Baofu and Hero. She glanced back to see an out of place Tatsuya, and motioned him over. He silently obeyed.

"Where's Katsuya?" she asked Hero.

"I guess Chris is picking them up at the airport. They should be here any minute. We're also still waiting on Ellen and Mary to show up."

"They'll be happy to see you," she giggled and Hero rolled his eyes.

"That's me, Mr. Popular." He turned to Tatsuya, "How are you? We didn't get a chance to talk much back at my place. Sorry about that."

"I'm excited to see my brother again," the teen gave an ever slight grin. "It seems like you're in a better mood, too."

"And you, too," Baofu cut in. "You shouldn't have bailed out of my place, Tatsuya. We're only trying to help."

Tatsuya seemed to recoil at the scolding, and his smile transitioned into a stony glare.

Maya put her arms around his shoulders, but kept her attention on Baofu.

"Let's _not_ argue about that right now. Tonight is about Tatsuya and Katsuya reuniting, and just having lots of fun."

"Want to go inside then?" Hero created the buzz that drifted to each of their friends.

There was some talk of food and alcohol (though Tatsuya couldn't have any booze), and everyone moved inside of the bar, where tables were put out for the group. Chunky was inside, just as Yuki had said, and had already helped himself to delectable treats put out by the bartender and the other employees, courtesy of the Nanjo family. At first, Alana tried to keep her distance from the heavyset man, but it wasn't long before he had spotted her and left his treats behind to greet her. He appeared overbearing, although that could've just been Maya's biased opinion. She had already heard from Hero about his obsessive behavior in high school, but she had no idea that it had been directed at Alana until now.

She couldn't help but laugh, even though the blonde actress appeared rather put off by it.

Yuki sidled up to Maya, and the two hugged and shared some brief words.

"Don't let Mizuno get to you," Yuki placed a hand on Maya's arm. "Fujii and I will cover for you, too."

"Thanks, Yuuki," the reporter tried to put on her best smile. She had forgotten that she had a report due soon on Masakatsu Nakamura. It was nearing the point where Maya believed that this article would cost her her job if not done correctly. Mizuno was getting out of control with this Nakamura mystery man.

"Have you found out anything more about him, Maya?"

The other woman sighed and shook her head. "And it's about that time where the Chief will be expecting news. After that last report I turned in, if I don't have answers, I'll be fired for sure. I was talking with Fujii and we both believe that this is a way for her to get rid of me. She's wanted to for a long, long time."

"Excuse me ladies, I couldn't help but overhearing you talking..." A head full of blue hair pushed its way in between the girls and Hero looked to Maya. "You're still doing that report on Nakamura, right? I remember you talking about it when we cleaned your room that day."

"You got _Maya_ to clean her room?" Yuki gawked. "I never thought that would be possible."

"He's been letting me drive his car, too," she smiled. "And been helping me with my articles."

"Dear Gods," the photographer dropped her face into the palm of her hands. "The world is ending."

"Actually," Hero ignored her and continued talking with Maya, "I can help you write that report."

"Thanks, Hero, but fabricating the article could land me in an even worse position than fired."

"No, no," he shook his head. "I mean _really_ help you with the article."

"_You?_" Yuki crossed her arms. "What, do you know Nakamura?"

Hero merely smiled.

"He's lying," Yuki pointed an accusing finger at him. "He doesn't know Nakamura. I'd know that phony smile anywhere."

Looking back to the reporter, Hero added, "When we go back to my place tonight, we'll talk."

"_Your_ place?" the photographer cut in again, eyes wide. "Maya? You didn't tell me you were _dating_ Stonefield."

Maya put her hands up to protest. "I—"

"She didn't tell _me,_ either."

The reporter whirled around at the sound of the familiar voice, and there stood Ulala, accompanied by Mary and Ellen on each side of her. Ulala's arms were crossed, and her eyes beheld a dangerous glint that Maya only saw her with either in the the gym or with a boyfriend. Ellen's disposition was matching, although her glare was reserved for Hero. Mary stayed a little ways back, her eyes downcast and unable to meet anyone's stare.

Maya trembled, and held out her hands to receive her best friend, but Ulala kept herself unavailable.

"Ulala..." the name left the reporter's lips in a quiet whisper, nowhere close to the tone or volume that Maya had imagined in her head.

"But aren't you fooling around with Baofu, too?" the redhead spat. "And Tatsuya? I think Katsuya is the only one you didn't deem worthy enough of your attention."

The room had silenced at the commotion, but Tatsuya and Baofu were at Maya's side in a few short strides.

"Watch yourself, Serizawa," Baofu leaned in. "I don't think you're in any position to throw stones. You did pretty well for yourself, sneaking into my place and snooping around. You left a whole mess of bread crumbs behind."

The boxer took in a breath, but didn't let his words faze her. Instead, she latched on like a bulldog.

"Shut up, Baofu. You're as worthless as the people you associate yourself with. And I only did what a _normal_ person would do. Thanks to your lack of organization, I now have access to all your little secrets. You want to talk about casting stones?"

"Please, don't fight," Maya pushed herself in between the two. "We can work this out. Please, let's—"

"Get _out_ of the _way,_" Ulala snarled and shoved Maya to the side.

Hero caught Maya's falling form, and Tatsuya jumped in front of her, protectively. Baofu retained his intimidating stance, but it appeared as though Ulala wasn't going to back down. Ellen remained silent, but her glare deepened at the sight of Hero holding Maya. Mary looked as though she was about to cry.

"What's going on, a fight?" Brad and Tad joined the circle at one end, while the rest gathered at the other.

Yuki curled her fingers into fists.

"What's going _on_ here? Ellen? Mary?"

Unable to hold it in any longer, Mary began to cry. Ellen finally broke her stolid gaze, but it wasn't to answer Yuki's question.

"I guess it _is_ true," Ellen told Hero in a whisper. "You and...Miss Amano..."

His brows furrowed together. "W-What?"

"I just wished that we didn't have to find out _this_ way," the model shook her head. "I mean...you've been gone all this time and...and I was so excited to see you..."

"Break it up, right _now._"

A sharp voice silenced the commotion, and the group whirled around to see Chris, clean cut and nicely dressed, standing there, looking just as angry as Ulala and Ellen were. To his left was a dark complected man dressed as though he was about to attend a rap concert, and to Chris' right...

Maya held her breath.

Katsuya didn't say a word—not anything. He merely gaze down at her fallen form, which was currently suspended in Hero's arms. She imagined that the way things looked were probably bad from his standpoint, but she didn't imagine him turning to walk away without a word and sadness in his eyes, evident even through his rose tinted glasses.

But that's _exactly_ what he did.

Maya couldn't find the will to call after him, and it mattered even less when the bell resounded from the door, signaling his departure.

\/\/\/

Katsuya and Mark are back :-D

Sorry about the end if it seems weird. I tried to keep Ulala and Ellen in character the best I could. More will be explained in the next chapter WHICH (I pray) WON'T take another year to update. Please review nicely (Flames, as always, will be used to warm my hands in this crazy, cold weather.)

ML


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